


A Chance of Rain

by Blue_Sparkle, RosemaryFries



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Babies, Blackwatch, Established Relationship, Gabriel Reyes' Family, Golden Age of Overwatch, Jack Morrison's Family, M/M, Mild Angst, Omnic Crisis, Original Characters - Freeform, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Pregnancy, Some Fight scenes (mostly Omnic Crisis), The family in Reflections is Reaper's, Trans Male Character, family au, mentions of torture, tags in chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 00:35:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 100,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14738777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosemaryFries/pseuds/RosemaryFries
Summary: When Jack finds out that he got pregnant despite all odds in the middle of the Omnic Crisis, he doesn't expect anything to come of it. Turns out that beating the odds twice isn't that unlikely.A story in which Jack and Gabe raise a child while balancing the entire world on their shoulders.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dudes, dudettes and dudelinos. Welcome to Vic and mine's extremely self-indulgent family AU. It is very nearly complete, and will hopefully update every Wednesday. 
> 
> I will add tags and warnings in the chapters and as I go along posting the story. Jack is a trans man in this story, and started transitioning when he was around seven or eight years old. It's not brought up much, as this is a self indulgent story as I said, and we kind of like to think that the 2030s and onwards are a good time. 
> 
> We started writing this before Brigitte and all the lore around her was revealed, so the exact timing of the Omnic Crisis is probably off. It was too late to change the entire plot though. 
> 
> So with that said, enjoy!
> 
> Writing by BlueSparkle (Val), Art by RosemaryFries (Vic)

This deep in the building, the base buzzed with activity like a beehive. Various international squads were staying there anywhere between half an hour and a week as it was decided where they were needed, provisions for outposts and refugees of the Crisis crossed through, gear was repaired and constructed, the injured were seen to or stabilized for a journey home…

The Strike Team, officially known as Overwatch by now, had their own section just for themselves, with rooms and a separate workshop and a med bay. It made sense, given how they used the base more consistently than anyone else. There wasn’t really time for a break for the only team that consistently destroyed Omniums. The small area that was completely their own and some sort of home away from home. No matter how Spartan the decor, it was the very least of comfort the Strike Team could be offered after weeks out in the debris of destroyed cities and the wilds around Omniums.

To Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes this was nearly a luxury after going through SEP training together. After years of military furnishings, the little base at the strait of Gibraltar felt like a five star hotel stay, especially with the constant battle against Omnics in between getting to rest there. The contrast made it all the sweeter.

The usual comfort was presently lost on Jack though. Not now. Not with the holopad before him, displaying the test results.

He was sitting completely stiff as he stared at the rows upon rows of crisps numbers and precise readings on the state of his blood and body, elbows on his knees and hands folded before his face. Jack could feel his heart beating steadily, but too hard, much too hard, as if it was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. A cold sort of emptiness was spreading in his stomach, like the first time he jumped from a plane with a parachute, only now the sensation wouldn’t stop like after the first few seconds of falling. The readings were pretty clear on what was going on with him, even to the eyes of someone whose medical training focused entirely on field injuries. He’d need an ultrasound to be _sure_ , but he could not force his hands to reach for the small wand that would scan his organs easily.

Too much meaning lay in that simple action.

Jack hadn’t even known anything was different until he’d done the routine check. He did those himself, most of the time, being the only one who really knew how to work the equipment and none of the Strike Team feeling like they needed to call one of the actual doctors over for routine. They all fought through so much crap; poison or radiation or infections could catch them off guard and be lethal on the next mission. So Jack had checked for the usual things, not expecting anything to show up as his body tended to deal with most issues before he even became aware of it.

He wouldn’t have noticed the slight change in his readings, if he hadn’t made it a habit to keep an eye on his hormone levels during his time at SEP. Sure, it was unlikely that those treatments would have messed with him in such a way that a ten year transition process could be reversed. And sure, he had been told that the artificial hormones in his implants would last a lifetime, but who really knew? Those things hadn’t ever been tested with whatever was pumped into the SEP candidates, and Jack hadn’t wanted to find out the hard way.

So when the readings spiked in a way he had never expected…

Jack’s first instinct was to call his mum. She would know what to say if he came to her, asking for advice because he had no pregnancy test but his equipment was pretty damn sure that those would turn out positive.

The second, of course, had been to seek out the Strike Team Commander’s office, and tell Gabriel what had happened.

Even just thinking this made Jack want to throw up. He let out a pained groan as he imagined how that would go, finally hiding his eyes behind his hands to stop looking at the results of his blood test.

He couldn’t tell Gabriel.

Any other circumstance, and perhaps this would have been good news. Gabriel loved kids, was fine with the idea of being a father though they hadn’t really talked about it that much. After being in a relationship with him for four years, Jack knew that Gabe’s wishes regarding his life planning were firmly pushed aside for an ‘after the crisis’, but also that it was a damn slim chance that they’d ever have their own kids.

Between Jack starting transition as a pre-teen, and the “high probability of test subjects becoming infertile” on the endless list of SEP side effects for both of them… what were the odds, really? Neither of them had wasted a thought on that anyway. Not with the Omnic Crisis.

The Crisis…

Jack was keenly aware of the high likelihood of death. Nobody in their right mind would go through something like this while on active duty, and Jack just happened to be the second in command of the only team that got any progress in turning the tide of this war. If he was gone, and stopped supporting his team, who knew what would happen?

His eyes moved to the rifle that lay against the wall, never too far from him in case they were summoned for some emergency. _This_ thing was his baby now, his life and purpose. It would be more than just a little selfish to abandon this for whatever was happening inside him. Jack couldn’t bring himself to think of it otherwise. Anything more tender and he’d just suffer more when it inevitably went wrong.

No, he couldn’t tell Gabriel when things were like this. There was absolutely no use in burdening the commander with more worries, and the Strike Team couldn’t afford for both of their commanding officers to be affected once this inevitably went south.

He couldn’t tell Gabriel, because Gabriel was the only man who was winning this god damn war for humanity’s survival. Because Gabriel didn’t deserve to grief, because he _needed_ to focus on the Crisis. Because if anyone found out, there might be a chance of Gabriel having to face court martial because he was his god damned commanding officer…

“Oh god.”

Jack dug his fingers into his hair, breathing out harshly as his head spun with the weight of what he found out. It was his own fault, partially. He’d been the one with the clever idea of telling Gabriel that they ought to just fuck like there wasn’t a care in the world. He was the one who hadn’t even considered something like this might happen, despite the countless hours of lectures from his father, about how he could do whatever he wished, but _safely_. So much for that.

Perhaps he should just get this over with… The thing in him would survive only until the next too narrow escape, the next bomb blowing up too closely to him, the next fall down some ravine and the next week with barely enough water to keep himself from dying out in some hideout…

No… he would have to actually let one of the doctor’s in the other section of the base know. He couldn’t do this without actual help. But that would mean _telling_ someone, and Gabriel tended to find out things that went down on the base. Then Jack would have to lie to his face about why he needed assistance from one of the doctors, and he didn’t know if he could do so convincingly. Jack rarely tried to hide anything, and Gabriel was good at reading him.

A shiver went down his spine when he realized that there was nothing he really _could_ do about this. He would just have to go about everything as usual, and just wait for the next brush with death for things to resolve themselves. Gabriel would never even know. One day, maybe, when they were old and grey and sitting on their porch with decades passed… Maybe he’d decide to tell him then, when it was too late to even really want to grief and his own pain had passed.

Maybe it wouldn’t matter by then. If it had happend once, then perhaps it could happen when Jack could do what he wanted. Though he doubted his chances.

Once the Crisis was over, Jack decided then, deleting the results of his test and taking a deep breath to compose himself. Once the Crisis was over, then he could be selfish if he’d ever get the opportunity again.

 

 

*

 

Jack had not meant to seek out Ana in her room when she was resting and enjoying private time. Everyone on the team knew that she liked her peace and quiet when she locked her door, and only wanted to be disturbed in cases of emergencies. He had avoided her in their down time as much as would go unnoticed, as he had done to everyone on the team but Gabriel, but when Torbjörn asked if he could please bring Ana a new and improved version of her rifle, he had agreed out of reflex.

Cursing his general need to be helpful he now stood in front of the door leading to their sniper’s private room. He could hear her soft voice carrying through the door, catching an Arabic word here and there, but only understanding enough to figure that she was probably talking to someone in her family. Fareeha most likely, or perhaps her parents.

The thought of that made Jack’s heart clench. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually gotten to talk to his parents, or write more than a few short words. The short distance to Egypt and the existence of a proper secure line to a family that was under direct military protection made it easier for Ana, but all Jack knew was that his home and the farm hadn’t been destroyed. It usually was enough to know this, but now he desperately wanted to hear a familiar voice and gentle words from someone who wasn’t also involved in the mess of the Crisis.

Behind the door Ana said something that sounded a lot like “I love you, talk to you later” so Jack took a deep breath, and knocked. Ana called for him to come in right away, destroying any last option to stall. Jack opened the door and walked in just as Ana was putting away her holopad. She turned around on her chair, smiling up at her friend.

“Jack! Is there something you need?”

“Torbjörn asked me to bring you this,” Jack told her, handing her the improved rifle. “Said you should try how you like the weight and balance so he’ll know whether he needs to do more with it.”

Ana took the weapon with a quiet thanks, immediately placing it against her shoulder and looking through the scope. Jack stood at attention by habit, watching as she started examining her weapon and testing out the different improvements their engineer had made. As she started to disassemble it to check how quickly she could do it, Jack’s attention wandered to gaze around.

Out of all of them Ana’s room looked the most lived in. Jack and Gabriel’s looked no different from any soldier’s who got to stay in one place long enough, Reinhardt’s was a little messy at times but usually followed protocol, Liao’s was impeccably tidy but with shelves filled with old books and trinkets, while Torbjörn’s was an absolute mess of sketches and gears, and really just an extension of his workshop, only that he never tidied it up properly for some reason. Gerard’s room in the Paris base of operation was a mystery to all but Gabriel, and nobody had managed to get an excuse to sneak inside during their stay there.

Ana’s looked lived in. There were soft blankets and colourful pillows from home on the bed, transforming it into a comfortable couch when she wasn’t sleeping. Her small magnet board for personal use contained pictures and handcrafted paper constructions her daughter had sent her. There were boxes of tea and biscuits on the table, well away from the corner she worked in, as well as beautiful colourful moroccan tea cups for when her friends dropped by. Jack still wasn’t sure where she’d gotten most of it, or how she managed to carry it around from base to base if she needed to leave.

What drew his attention today was the hologram that sat directly in front of her workspace. It was small, only displaying in shades of blue, but Jack knew that this was Ana’s most cherished possession, and the one personal object she carried with her at all times. It was the picture of a four year old girl, with dark hair and Ana’s sharp eyes, looking a little solemn. Jack remembered the day it had been taken. Fareeha had wanted to play hero, asking if she had to be a soldier to help her mum save the world, to which everyone had laughed and promised her that she didn’t need to do anything but be herself to be a real hero.

Usually the picture made Jack smile fondly at the memory of the little girl. Today it made his heart clench despite himself. Unbidden the thought of his own desk came to mind. There was nothing of the sort on there, and neither was there on Gabriel’s. He did have pictures of the entire Reyes family, but they were put up on his wall neatly. For a moment Jack wondered if Gabriel was the type to place a picture of his children on his own desk…

He cut that thought off forcefully before his mind could steer into the territory of Jack imagining a hologram of a boy that looked exactly like Gabe’s baby pictures. He _couldn’t_ let himself get sentimental about something that would never happen. Not now at least.

He must not have been quick enough in hiding his emotions, as he found Ana’s sharp eye on him the second he returned his attention to her.

“Jack… is everything alright?” she asked, in that tone that implied she very much knew something was up.

Jack wondered if there was any sense in hiding the truth from her. That lasted only a few seconds, with her enhanced eye boring deep into his soul. He found his resolve to take his secret to the grave crumbling, the need to talk to someone winning over in the end. He couldn’t confide in Gabriel, but Ana was his best friend on the team. It was her, or no one.

“No,” he finally admitted with a sigh, deflating out of his stance.

Ana gestured at her bed-turned-couch, before rising from her chair to sit down herself, legs tucked underneath her. Jack could feel her eyes on him as he sat down, elbows on his legs and staring at the ground. He let out another breath, feeling all energy leave him.

“I was doing routine tests, as usual, but the results stated pretty clearly that something is off. I tried to reproduce them, and they’re always saying the same thing.”

Ana was quiet as she listened, and Jack could see her carefully neutral expression out of the corner of his eye.

“They pretty clearly say that I’m pregnant,” he let out then, forcing himself to speak clearly and not blurt everything out at once. It wasn’t a weight off his chest as he expected, but now it was out in the world and he wouldn’t be able to play it off as a joke.

Ana was quiet for a few moments.

“How long have you known?”

Jack felt a little relieved that she wasn’t doubting him, or demanding an explanation about how he noticed such a thing.

“About a week and a half.”

“And I assume, Gabriel doesn’t know about this?”

Jack shook his head, and felt a slim hand placed on his shoulder in comfort.

“I don’t want to burden him with this, he has to keep this entire team together without worrying about something like…”

He made a vague gesture at his body.

“He’ll be in trouble if word gets out to the wrong ears. And it’s not like this will even go anywhere, with the Crisis and the nature of our missions-“

Jack hated how his voice cracked at the end. He would not permit himself to grieve for this. A part of him cursed the routine examinations, wondering if he couldn’t have gone all his life not knowing of what might have been.

“Oh Jack…”

Ana’s arms wrapped around him, providing the comfort he craved and couldn’t get from Gabriel without disclosing what was wrong. Jack wrapped his arm around Ana’s waist and turned his head to hide his face against her shoulder. She responded by carding her hand through his hair soothingly.

“I took my leave when I was having Fareeha,” she said after a while. “Couldn’t you bring yourself to do so as well?”

“And leave the Strike Team for something like this? Ana, I don’t know if I’m even able to do this physically, who knows if my body can even see this through, but I know I have literally been created to fight this war to the end. I can’t leave Gabriel’s side, we promised to stick together. If he leaves, if we _both_ leave… you know it’s him who is making us succeed.”

He felt Ana’s displeased snort against his hair.

“You’re not a weapon, Jack, as much as you like to say that you are. You can act as a normal human being first and foremost.”

“I can’t risk the world for something that probably won’t happen even if nothing goes wrong. I couldn’t live with myself if I gave up my duties for… something completely hypothetical.”

At this he could only hear her sigh.

“As expected with you… I’m so sorry Jack. I wish I could control time to let this happen when the circumstances are favourable.”

Jack managed a small smile and sat up, only moving out of her embrace but not pulling away from Ana’s soothing hand.

“Just you knowing is enough. Gabriel _can’t_ know. He’ll just get all hopeful and ignore the odds, and in the end he’ll be devastated. I know I will be, and I’m not even trying to imagine a good outcome.”

Ana nodded, but also looked thoughtful.

“It might be best in our circumstances, though I feel like you should tell him eventually. Gabriel can pull himself together and still be a good leader no matter what. I can’t decide for you. Perhaps things aren’t as dire as you think, Jack. The Omnics are slowly being defeated all over the world. How far along are you?”

“How far along?” Jack parroted, raising his brows.

Ana rolled her eyes.

“Yes Jack, how far along are you with your pregnancy? I know you probably didn’t test for it, but you probably do know when this happened, yes? A time you and Gabriel just couldn’t bring up the patience to do things properly…”

At that Jack felt his ears burn.

“Uhm… we didn’t…”

“Didn’t do this? That might be harder to pin down then, you wouldn’t have noticed if protection just failed-“

“No I mean… uh… We didn’t… We never used protection at all,” Jack stammered out, suddenly deeply uncomfortable with the topic. He felt as if he was actually talking to his parents now.

The look Ana gave him was enough for Jack to feel more deeply ashamed of himself than he’d ever been. This was _worse_ than his parents.

“John Morrison, what do you mean, you _never_?”

He ran a hand through his hair nervously, feeling heat crawl down his neck. He guessed he was as red as a tomato right now.

“Uh… I kind of thought SEP made both of us unable to have kids, and then we just figured it’s too much of a hassle to always make sure we have condoms on hand and- ehm… You know I’ve got artificial hormones and all that? Like those make it really hard to and I- we- kind of…”

She cursed under her breath, using words Jack hadn’t heard before, figuring that she reserved those for extremely irritating occasions.

“Excuse me if I’m being blunt, but you do have all the corresponding organs to get knocked up, yes?”

“Yes, but-“

“So what made you think this couldn’t possible lead to inconveniences? Didn’t they teach you this in America?”

Jack hid his face behind his hands.

“They did… and dad spent a lot of time making sure I actually remembered.”

Another mumbled sentence in Arabic, this time sounding as if Ana was asking the heavens why she was burdened with such friends. Finally she turned her attention back to Jack.

“Somehow I feel like things will go right simply because I have never met any men as simultaneously clever and stupid as you two.”

Jack let out a snort and shoved her playfully.

“Stop. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Certainly,” Ana replied. She chuckled then, and pulled the soldier into her arms easily again.

“Everything will be fine,” she said. “You are my family, and I will make sure that things turn out well for you. I’ll watch over both of you.”

Jack knew that there was only so much Ana could do for him, but he hugged her gratefully, still smiling. He wasn’t any less convinced that things would go wrong in a matter of weeks, but somehow he felt like the tightness in his chest had lessened.

Things might not look good now, but he knew he had the support and the strength to survive this.

 

*

 

The low energy preserving light inside the bathroom did nothing for Jack’s unevenly tanned skin. There were ugly yellow bruises on his arms, old and new scars stood out starkly, and he definitely did not look healthy like that.

He stood in front of the mirror, hands propped against the sink and eyes focused on their reflection. He could do this. He could.

Jack chewed the inside of his cheek nervously as he carefully braced his hands against the tiled bathroom wall and stepped on the toilet’s closed lid. It creaked angrily, but supported his weight as he carefully turned back towards the mirror, trying to find the right angle. The damn thing was too small to see his body in otherwise, and the toilet wasn’t right in front of it either.

His stomach looked flat when Jack managed to lean forward just enough to truly see his body from the side. Or at least he thought it did. At this point his anxieties latched on to anything about him to try and overthink it. He knew on some level that it was too early to tell just by looking, and that so far any change might be written off. Still, Jack wasn’t dating a man who was blind to details around him.

The man who was just behind the door, going through maps of the area and reports of Omnic movements one last time before finally allowing himself to rest. Eventually Gabriel would notice.

Jack let out a sigh and he pressed his hands against his stomach as if he could keep it as flat as it was now until this was over. He would have refused to sleep in the same bed as Gabriel until he had nothing left to stress over, but that alone would have made Gabriel suspicious. There was nothing bad enough to make Jack decide his best friend and best source of comfort shouldn’t be there, nothing Gabriel could do wrong without Jack calling him out for it. They were too used to giving it to each other straight and sticking together no matter what or no matter how they might disagree.

No, Gabriel would definitely grow suspicious.

“Jack, how long are you staying there? I can’t sleep without you to cuddle!”

Jack nearly fell off the toilet bowl with a curse. He managed to step down from it without making too much noise though.

“I’ll be right out,” he called, cursing quietly as he grabbed his shirt to pull it on quickly. It wouldn’t actually help hiding a potential bump, if Gabriel touched him, but it felt safer somehow.

When he unlocked the bathroom door Gabriel was sitting on the bed, holding up a blanket and looking at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

“There you are. It’s too cold to sleep alone.”

“Sorry,” Jack managed to say with a weak smile. “Lost track of time.”

Gabriel smiled up at him with a sleepy expression.

“Daydreaming this late at night? Seriously?”

He scooted up to the wall, turning to face it.

“Come on in then.”

Jack set one knee on the mattress, then paused. The thought of pressing his stomach against Gabriel’s back made a spike of anxiety rise up in his chest. Gabriel wouldn’t feel anything, couldn’t possibly, but…

“Let me be the little spoon,” he demanded.

Gabriel threw a scandalized look over his shoulder. The way he loved being held in too tight beds had been a surprising discovery back during their SEP days, and Jack never denied a straight up request.

“I worked hard all day, I deserve to be cuddled in my sleep, damn it.”

“Can I just… please let me today,” Jack grit out, too tired to argue, too anxious that he’d let something slip out.

Gabriel’s expression softened, and he turned back around to make room for Jack against his chest.

“Sure, Jackie.”

With a sigh of relief Jack finally climbed into bed, shifting until he was pressed against Gabriel’s body and felt him nuzzle against the back of his head. He took Gabriel’s arm and draped it so that it was closer to his chest, too paranoid to allow it anywhere near his waist. Gabriel didn’t seem to notice though, just dug his fingers into the muscles of Jack’s peck.

“Night Gabe,” he muttered, getting a mumble in return.

Gabriel was out like a stone within moments, too exhausted from the most recent skirmishes and constant planning. Jack lay awake for what felt like hours, listening to the other’s soft breathing. His hand was still on Gabriel’s wrist, and part of him wanted to let it slip down to rest against his stomach instead. Just to indulge the fantasy for a bit.

Eventually he’d have to stop sleeping in this room, if he wanted Gabriel to remain blissfully unaware of the situation. Eventually he’d have to avoid him altogether…

It was a miracle that Gabriel hadn’t noticed anything off yet. So far Jack had been good at hiding his emotional state, apart from how little sex they’ve had in the last two weeks. Gabriel had probably written it off as Jack starting to feel especially exhausted and worn down by the war, a mood that hit everyone occasionally.

Hopefully Gabe wouldn’t take it the wrong way once he did notice Jack pulling away from him.

Pressing back against Gabriel’s body behind him Jack finally closed his eyes and forced himself to try and fall asleep. The anxiety didn’t leave, and it was the first thing to greet him in the morning.

As if he needed any more of that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a battle scene and some non explicit sex in a flashback ahead

The rattle of Bastion units desperately trying to unload their entire munition into the approaching soldiers drowned out everything as Gabriel dashed from broken wall to burning cars, always keeping hidden. He wasn’t even out of breath when he came to a skidding halt in what must have been a destroyed store once, judging by the debris, and peeked out at the street.

“Wilhelm, report your position,” he called out, one hand pressed to his earpiece in an attempt to hear anything over the noise.

“Up on the southern tower!” came the booming reply. “Everyone’s proceeding as planned.”

Gabriel grinned and wiped a hand over his forehead to get rid of some sweat and ash. He had managed to predict the movement of the Omnics correctly after all, counting on their lack of information of the city’s net of canalization grid that had been constructed in the early twentieth century. The exact layout had never been catalogued digitally and made public where Omnics could possibly access that information. He had read through every piece of information on the structure of the city, making sure to consult Torbjörn’s opinion on whether the known bombs would have caused the underground pathways to crumble in strategic places. Now he knew the troops under his command would manage to destroy any hostile forces easily, unless the Omnics managed to throw something massive at them. Which they wouldn’t, because his team had destroyed any of their supply routes and bases in a fifty mile radius. This was their last stronghold in the entire area.

Only negative in this entire situation was that half the Strike Team had gotten separated and he would have to fight like hell to get back to their pick up point.

“Morrison, where are you?” he called next, crouching down to check whether his shotguns were in order.

“Directly above you,” came the reply.

Gabriel paused and looked up at the broken ceiling. If he focused he could hear the sound of a pulse rifle coming from there, nearly drowned out by the noise of the Omnics outside.

“Great, then come help me find a way out of this mess.”

The boom of rockets being fired sounded from above, and then Gabriel heard a clack and steps. Moments later Jack was jumping through one of the ceiling’s holes and onto a metal shelf by the wall to climb down to the ground floor.

There were dark oil stains on his cheek and the jacket of his green camouflage uniform, but he looked unharmed otherwise.

“Any news from the others?” he asked as he joined Gabriel to watch the street outside.

“Yeah, everything’s going according to plan. Only hiccup is us being stuck here and having to fight our way back.”

Jack hummed in agreement, already shifting the grip on his rifle to be ready to blow up some tincans at a moment’s notice. The intensity of his gaze made Gabriel grin.

“Then what are we waiting for, commander?” Jack asked, voice rough.

Gabriel raised his shotguns and cocked his head.

“Nothing in particular.”

With a quick motion to the broken storefront the two were dashing out into the open. Though not completely safe yet, Gabriel felt much better with Jack at his side now, both keeping an eye in opposite directions as they hurried along while trying to stay hidden. Jack would occasionally rush ahead to a spot that provided cover, immediately training his rifle at anything that might try to jump Gabriel from behind.

“Reyes!” Jack yelled out as they did that to run down several streets. His hand shot out to drag Gabriel behind an upturned car just as a Bastion unit’s machine gun shot into the ground where Gabriel had been, making asphalt and earth fly up in a wild spray.

“How many are there?” Gabriel asked the second he was safe behind metal.

“I saw at least three,” Jack shot out, clutching his rifle and looking up at the edge of the car to judge whether he could risk taking aim.

Gabriel cursed. The noises from the Omnics made him guess that they were further away than he could effectively damage them without being hurt. He wouldn’t be able to run at them quickly enough without an element of surprise. And Jack would struggle to get the best of three of those things if they already knew his position.

“Amari,” he called out, activating a channel to the sniper. “We’re stuck behind a car, can you see us?”

A moment of silence, and then “Negative. I have your position on my display, how long can you hold it?”

Gabriel glanced up at Jack who pulled a face. He looked focused and pale, eyes on the shaking frame of the car they hid behind. It wasn’t the best shelter to be sure.

“Eh, Morrison and I are in deep shit if you can’t pick out those Bastions or offer a good route to run away on.”

He heard something that sounded like a muffled curse to his surprise.

“Does Jack have munition?”

“Yes, but he can’t get a good shot with these many.”

Jack threw him a strange look as he heard Gabriel say that.

“I’ll be right there, try and hold on if you can.”

Gabriel wanted to protest that Ana should hold her position, not needing her to try and run to a new sniper’s nest just for the two of them, but before he could say anything he heard the click of her comm being shut off.

“Alright, Ana’s coming,” he told Jack then. “Ready to make a run for it?”

Jack threw one last look at the car that was definitely starting to bend under the onslaught. 

“Sure,” he said.

They ran before the Bastions could catch on to what was happening. Gabriel stuck to the buildings as Jack sidestepped through the street faster than the Bastions could swing their guns around. Neither got very far, a nearby explosion forcing Gabriel off course. The street was destroyed before them, dipping down in a crater from some earlier explosion, with pretty big chunks of building lying near it so Gabriel pointed towards it with a quick shout as he dove towards it and slid along the destroyed asphalt. Jack followed suit, and soon they were pressed to the ground with their backs, lying in the dip in the ground to be shielded from attacks.

For now at least. Gabriel could already hear the three Bastions slowly stomping towards them, as well as the noise of some more Omnics joining from the left.

“One day we won’t be stuck in a shitty situation like this,” Gabriel muttered as he checked his guns again.

Next to him Jack was oddly quiet, not cracking a cynical joke as he usually would. He had his rifle pressed to his chest, staring straight ahead to where the sounds of approaching Omnics could be heard. Gabriel couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Jack even close to a panic, but the tense set of Jack’s jaw made him wonder. It wasn’t even the worst occasion they had been stuck in so far.

Smoke was wafting past them above the opposite end of the crater, and Gabriel could see two four legged OR-13s move by, searching.

“Any grand declarations of love to make? Now’s the time,” he joked as he flexed his hands on the handles of his shotguns.

“I’m pregnant.”

Gabriel paused, and glanced back at Jack. He hadn’t moved an inch, rifle still clutched to his chest and his eyes fixed on a point in the distance. He looked paler than before.

“What.”

Jack finally moved from his frozen position to stare back at Gabriel. There was something wild in his eyes, despite the tight clench of his jaw and the near neutral expression on his face.

“What do you mean?” Gabriel asked again, leaning towards Jack.

In that moment the Omnics in front of them tensed, both starting to shoot at something to the right and away from the crater, seemingly alerted by some noise. Before Gabriel could react to that, or ask Jack about what he had said again, Jack had leapt to his feet and was running towards the OR-13s at a breakneck speed.

Gabriel could only sit and watch as Jack jumped up high, shooting at the back of the head of one of the Omnics, unloading rockets into it, before smashing his rifle into the other and then punching at it with his fists. He fought like a demon possessed, pulse munitions flying and arms moving in a fluid blur as he tore through metal and wires with his bare hands. He moved too quickly for the Omnics to get a hold of him, slipping through their attempts to catch him or stab him with their white hot blades.

The familiar sound of Ana’s rifle tearing through the air and hitting something behind him startled Gabriel out of his stupor. Much as he was reluctant to tear his eyes away from the sight of Jack fighting like a berserker, he ran up the crater’s walls and into the street, immediately unloading his shotguns into the Bastions that had finally come close enough.

It was over in less than a minute.

Gabriel looked up to where he figured Ana was hiding, just in time to notice how Jack was standing over the wrecked forms of the OR-13s. His earpiece came to live, connecting to a joint channel.

“Jack, get up and go to the pick up point,” he heard Ana’s voice say. “I’ll cover your back. Commander, our soldiers are retreating were possible, we’ve reclaimed 80% of the city and the rest will be secured soon.”

“Acknowledged.”

The comm turned off, and Gabriel returned to staring at Jack.

For a few moments Jack didn’t move, then he raised his head and looked back towards Gabriel.

“We have to get going,” he called, before he started to run towards the safe zone where they would be picked up.

“Right,” Gabriel muttered, moving out of a stupor like state for the second time in as many minutes. He followed Jack, running as quick as he could without losing focus on his surroundings. Jack’s words were ringing in his head, over and over, until they didn’t sound real, and something cold was spreading in Gabriel’s stomach.

He pushed it away for now, focusing on the task at hand. He could wreck his brain about this once he was sure to survive.

 

*

 

Gabriel wandered the halls of the Gibraltar base aimlessly, trying to figure out where Jack had disappeared to. He burned with the need to track him down and demand an explanation for what he had blurted out in the middle of a battle field, needed to know that he had heard that right.

Jack hadn’t looked at him on the entire flight back, sticking to the opposite side of the carrier where Gabriel couldn’t talk to him without every single soldier inside the plane being able to overhear. And this wasn’t something anyone had any business eavesdropping on. Afterwards Gabriel had to debrief everyone, but before he could catch Jack in a quiet spot to talk, the second carrier with the remainder of their troops arrived, forcing Gabriel to stay behind as Jack slipped away.

Gabriel had seen him exchange a brief word with Ana, but the sniper was nowhere to be found either. Nobody had seen Jack in the main part of the base, and none of the Strike Team had been present when he had disappeared. Gabe placed his gear in his room, leaving on only his tank top and fatigues, and immediately went off to search.

Searching on his own Gabriel couldn’t help but worry about why Jack had said what he thought he did. Because if he had heard right, and if what Jack was saying was true… It couldn’t be though, the both of them couldn’t have children. There had been too many meds (and god knew what else) pumped into them. And even without that Gabriel knew that Jack probably couldn’t anyway due to taking hormones.

The thought occurred to Gabriel that Jack might be sick in some way. That would mean he’d hide in the near unused medbay of the Strike Team’s section of the base. He turned on his heel, quickly marching down the hallway leading there. His mind raced with questions to ask Jack, demands for explanations. 

When he reached the medbay he noticed that it was dark and seemingly unused, but one light was turned on, illuminating a small corner. Out of habit Gabriel moved as soundlessly as he could, slipping through the door and moving along the empty beds and curtains. Now he could see that the blue light of some medical equipment was glowing in front of him as well, and he heard the buzz of a machine mingling with harsh breathing. As he edged closer he managed to sneak a glance around the corner, still staying in the shadows.

And there was Jack, hair damp from a shower and wearing clean fatigues and a light jacket, sitting on the examination table and back turned to Gabriel. At the angle Gabriel couldn’t see what Jack was doing, but he had his shirt tucked up and was holding a hand in front of his body, his head turned to the machine in front of him. As Gabriel threw a glance at it, he recognized it as a universal scanner, displaying the inside of Jack’s body.

Normally Gabriel would have guessed that Jack was checking for internal bleeding, but now he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen. He recognized what it was. Had seen it in movies and magazines, and in the pictures his oldest sister had sent him when telling him about her baby shower. And now it was on the screen in front of him, the one Jack was staring at as well, breathing harshly in the way he did when he was extremely stressed out.

“So it’s true,” Gabriel whispered, nearly causing Jack to drop the wand he’d held.

The wide eyed look of panic Jack was throwing him wasn’t concealed by the scanner turning off. Even with the single burning lamp Gabriel could read Jack’s features perfectly. Fear, shock, anxiety… Not something he’d associate with what he had just seen.

“I didn’t plan on telling you,” Jack said quietly, after what felt like ages of them staring at each other.

He grabbed a few paper towels and wiped at his skin before quickly dropping his shirt. As he threw them away Gabriel sat down on the chair in front of Jack, somehow feeling as if his legs couldn’t support him anymore. He stared at Jack, trying to form words, and Jack was staring right back, arms crossed and looking extremely uncomfortable. When was the last time Jack had been made uncomfortable by him?

“How far along are you?” he asked instead, focusing on trying to find out the facts.

A shrug.

“I’m not sure, I only found out a few weeks ago and I’d have to get a test in town or talk to a doctor. Didn’t want to tell anyone though.”

He thought back to Ana’s reaction when she heard that Jack was in a pickle.

“But Ana knows?”

A nod.

Gabriel tried his best to hide his hurt at that revelation. 

“Why didn’t you want to tell me?” he asked, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. Jack gave him a strange look at that.

“Because you don’t need this distraction right now.”

“Distraction?” Gabriel recoiled at the word, trying to understand why anyone would see this that way. “You mean it’s somehow a distraction to be told you’re gonna be a father?”

A look crossed Jack’s face, as if he was about to say something particularly nasty, but he held it back.

“Yes. You're supposed to be saving humanity and you'd get way too focused on _this_ instead. And if that distraction gets noticed? If someone found out that my superior officer stuck his dick in another supersoldier in the middle of a war? What do you think would happen if they decided to blame you for the fact that I'm not fit for fighting?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Gabriel snapped, but Jack laughed. It was a bitter sound.

“Is it though?”

He visibly deflated as he went on.

“Not like it matters anyway. It’s only a matter of time until something goes wrong with my body, or I get injured in such a way that this thing will just disappear. I only came here to check cause it could have happened today for all I know. And don’t start about me taking leave. You know I’m not leaving you, and neither of us can afford taking any time off.”

Gabriel flinched at the idea their child being referred to as a thing in that tone of voice, but the reality of what Jack just said hit him. They were soldiers in a brutal war for humanity’s survival, neither of them _could_ leave, even if anyone would let them…

“Shit,” he muttered, and Jack laughed again.

“Exactly.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Gabriel trying to process the uncertain future of this new revelation. Finally he got up and stepped closer to Jack, waiting for the rejection. When none came he wrapped his arms around Jack and pulled him against his body, ignoring how he was probably getting dust and grime all over him.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, face pressed against Jack’s hair.

“What are the odds,” Jack replied, sounding lost. “Something I thought wasn’t even a possibility happens and it’s in the one moment in my life where it doesn’t matter what I want, because no choice I make would matter either.”

“We can get through this,” Gabriel promised, pressing a kiss to Jack’s head. “We always come out on top, right?”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Jack said, voice muffled against Gabriel’s chest. “There’s nothing that can go right about this while we’re stuck in this Crisis.”

“It’s obvious then,” Gabriel said as he pulled back enough to lift Jack’s head by his chin and kiss him softly. “I’ll just have to win this war for you before anything goes wrong.”

 

*

_Five months earlier._

Jack stretched out on his bed dressed in a shirt and boxers, an arm thrown over his eyes, and a permanent frown on his face. His entire body ached all over, knitting skin back together where he’d been shot at and had scraped it open, and healing slowly from the past week’s trip into a jungle full of Omincs and various deadly animals. At least the Omnium there had been destroyed.

More than anything Jack wanted to fall asleep to wake up once his enhanced healing had done its job, but there was an especially persistent ache all along his left shin from kicking a sadly much too solidly armoured Omnic to pulp. The throb of pain was just strong enough to keep him from drifting off to sleep, and just a little too weak to warrant painkillers that wouldn’t work for much anyway.

Being a supersoldier had its drawbacks.

A familiar knock distracted Jack from the nasty cramp in his leg, and he looked up just in time to see Gabe slip through the door. He was dressed down for the night, or as much as he ever did these days when the entire base besides the Strike Team saw him as their unofficial leader. He looked as exhausted as Jack felt, but still managed to look good despite the brace on his arm and a massive patch on his forehead where a piece of metal had cut another line across his face.

“How’re you doing, sugartits?” he teased as he took one look at Jack’s miserable face and the mess of blankets he’d kicked to the floor.

“In just enough pain to make it annoying,” Jack replied.

Gabriel winked at him as he locked the door to Jack’s room behind him and pulled out a small silver canister from his pocket.

“Glad I brought this along then. Come on, scoot over, I want to be comfortable while we use this.”

Jack’s eyes widened as Gabriel set the biotic field down on the floor and activated it to illuminate the room with its pretty golden light.

“Are you a goddamn idiot? Don’t waste something like that on aches and bruises,” Jack protested as he shifted on his bed to make room for Gabriel.

The commander shrugged, already kicking off his boots and slipping out of his clothes.

“I control the budget, and I feel like the leaders of the most successful team in this damn war deserve a little extra. What’s the point in supersoldiers if they’re cranky and in pain, eh?”

Jack rolled his eyes as Gabriel stretched out next to him with a content sigh, completely naked and not even bothering to pick up a blanket to cover up for decency. His clothes were a mess on the floor now, making Jack ache to pick them up and fold them neatly out of habit. He ignored that in favour of melting against Gabriel’s side, any aches forgotten and muscles already relaxing under the warmth of the biotic field.

Soon enough there was nothing in his body that hurt at all, and by the time the field ran out Jack was sure he’d only have some yellowish bruises left to show for his troubles. Gabriel’s hand ran over his shoulder after a while, pleasantly rough from holding guns and punching Omincs all day. They easily found the last remaining tense spots in Jack’s shoulder, and strong fingers started to knead his flesh with expertise.

Jack couldn’t help but let out a moan at the sensation, eyes fluttering open lazily to see Gabriel stare at him with an expression so full of affection that it made him choke up a little. His heart felt heavy with admiration and love for his partner, nearly painfully so every time they returned from a mission.

He rolled over to kiss Gabriel gently, and as soon as he did so arms wrapped around him and Gabriel hooked a leg over his hip. It usually went like this after missions. Either of them went to the other’s room, taking turns in sleeping there and only rarely staying on their own, relaxing, kissing, and then slow and lazy sex with no hurry whatsoever. Jack would always cling to Gabriel and spread his hands over his lover’s back, while Gabriel stroked and groped and tried to touch every inch of Jack’s skin he could reach without actually having to break the kiss.

Sometimes they were too exhausted for much, which always ended in Gabriel getting Jack off with his hands, but usually they both wanted to be wrapped around each other and be connected as much as possible. It was strange for Jack to think of how they had started out. During SEP, with treatments and sickness and the worry of dying mixed with the lust of a hot new boyfriend they had been as wild as possible, harsh and rough and insatiable.

Now death still always was just a step away, but something had shifted. After weeks or months of being out in the field, crushing Omnics and risking their lives, neither of them wanted to do more than to feel close to the other. Kissing, chest to chest, the golden glow of a biotic field painting their skins pretty metallic shades. Jack never thought that he even could get off when things were so slow and _boring_ , all things considered, but he had no wish for more at all.

“You’re so pretty like this, sunshine. Did I tell you that?” Gabriel asked, half above Jack, hands curling and tugging at his hair.

Jack moved his lips, futilely trying to make a sound that wasn’t a low grown as Gabriel moved inside him just right, informed by years of figuring out just what Jack liked best. His nails were scratching over Gabriel’s shoulder blades, leaving white marks not quite deep enough to break skin.

“Every time,” Jack finally managed to say. “You say this every time.”

“Oh good. Wouldn’t want to break that habit then.”

If Jack wasn’t too busy clinging to Gabriel for dear life he’d have swatted at him. Instead he tilted his head up enough to kiss Gabe deeply, distracting him from the words. The moment he felt Gabriel slow down and relax into it Jack nipped at his lip, quick and hard enough to cause his partner to yelp. That ought to be enough of a retaliation.

Afterwards they lay with their arms wrapped around each other, Gabriel’s head pillowed on Jack’s shoulder and Jack rubbing soothing circles over Gabriel’s arm. He was starting to feel drowsy by then, riding the high of post coital bliss and the warmth provided by the biotic field.

“You’re only kissing me to keep me from leaving bite marks on your neck,” Gabriel complained, sleepily tracing over Jack’s collarbone. The field tended to make him tired after a while, and Jack figured he’d have fallen asleep ages ago if not for their activities.

“You saw through my ingenious plan,” he replied dryly. “It’s all to get out of wearing turtlenecks in Mediterranean summer.

Gabe chuckled against his chest, and nuzzled against it comfortably.

“Embarrassed to show off lovebites, are you now?”

“Shut up, you know that’s not it! It’s just private. And not professional.”

Gabriel let out a sleepy mumble.

“Screw professional, I’m the only one who’s gonna judge you anyway. Who cares about professional as long as shit gets done?”

Jack rolled his eyes, wondering how Gabriel always managed to get away with obvious disregard for order and regulations as often as he did. He reached for the floor awkwardly, searching blindly for the blanket without having to let go of Gabe, and then draped it across both of them carefully. It wasn’t exactly cold in his room, but there was something nice about getting to cuddle up with his partner in a proper bed with the whole shebang.

Listening to the quiet snore Jack stared at the ceiling, his heart feeling strangely full. When he had left his family’s farm, and then signed up to some super secret government program to deal with the Omnic Crisis at nineteen he hadn’t expected to find a lover of all things. He hadn’t expected that he would ever go through a war and get tiny moments of this, feeling more at home and more like he belonged to a family that he had done in his actual home sometimes.

It was more than he had ever seen himself have when he was younger, not able to see beyond getting out of his rural home and later not able to focus on more than winning a war.

The only thing Jack needed for perfect happiness was right here, and the only thing he could ask for now was that he and Gabriel would be able to see the Crisis through to its end. There wasn’t anything more he could possibly expect to make things better.

 

*

Planes flew overhead, some low enough that Jack was sure he could feel a draft from them pull at his hair. Press drones were joining them, much slower but scanning what they could. Occasionally it looked as if the pilots were just flying back and forth for the hell of it, but he couldn’t be sure without being linked to the aerial force’s communication line.

Sitting on the roof of one of the more or less intact skyscrapers he couldn’t care less about it though. Jack had taken his com out and placed it within reach so he could still hear if he was paged directly, but otherwise not wanting to be bothered by anyone. He was barely watching the soldiers below, the medics and the engineers who were celebrating in the destroyed streets. All he had eyes for was the endless blue sky and the gorgeous glint of the ocean stretching across from him. The early afternoon sun was painting everything in a beautiful light, the colours seeming richer and more saturated despite the debris all over the place.

Something about it made Jack dizzy. He hadn’t seen the ocean until he turned twenty, on a very brief trip during leave, and then he hadn’t been able to enjoy the sight for years during the Crisis. Now he could just sit and watch, and something about the beauty of it seemed both extremely fitting and ridiculous.

This was victory weather, talking about peace weather, planning the future weather. And it just seemed so strange that it actually happened when all of these things were right there, only waiting for Jack to understand that he had survived and helped end the most devastating war humanity had ever faced.

Today it had been made official that the Crisis was over, and that the Omnics would enter peace talks with humanity. It was over now, things would go well now.

Jack’s hand curled over his stomach as he tried to shake the feeling that this was all a dream. That he really could start worrying about _normal_ things, and that he could just hope…

He still had soot and debris clinging to his skin, his rifle lay within reach so that he could pick it up and fight in a second’s notice. And yet the war was over and his fears about the thing… the _child_ now could be put to rest. He wasn’t even showing yet, something Ana had voiced envy over given how far along he was, and now Jack could just focus on this and not some tincans.

Gravel crunched behind him as a pair of heavy boots moved over the rooftop behind him, and Jack didn’t need to look back to recognize Gabriel’s steps. His commander approached him until he was standing right beside him, staring out over the pretty scenery.

“Why don’t you join everyone else in the street?” he asked, and Jack just knew he was sporting a shit-eating grin. “Everyone’s celebrating, we’re heroes. I’ll even make sure to find you some orange juice so you won’t envy the warm beer everyone’s digging up from god knows where.”

“I like the view,” Jack replied. “And I just-“

He made a vague hand motion.

“Just struggle to wrap your head around that we did it?”

Jack looked up to see that Gabriel was looking at him with understanding. He probably was the one who would know how Jack felt the best now. Both of them had been a last ditch effort creation to stop this war, both of them had been leading a team that was the last hope for humanity to survive… Both of them had a family at stake.

Jack shook his head and pieces of crumbled up concrete fell from his hair and scattered on the ground. He rose up to stand by Gabriel’s side, arms crossed.

“I can’t believe you _actually_ stopped this war though. What the fuck even?”

Gabriel leaned over, facing Jack’s stomach.

“Mama taught me to always keep promises and do everything in my power for my family,” he said with a completely serious expression and the tone he used when he desperately tried not to laugh. “Why else would I be a supersoldier if not for that?”

Jack punched him in the arm lightly, causing Gabe to stumble and finally let out the laugh he’d been holding in.

He turned back to the ocean then, breathing in deeply.

“We really did it though,” Jack said quietly. “And this… it’s really happening. We’ll have to make plans eventually.”

Jack laughed, shaking his head again.

“But let’s wait. At least a day of not having to worry or plan for anything at all. I don’t even want to think about the future, I just want to ignore everything and everyone.”

“Oh? I hope you’ll forgive me that I’ll make you think about it for a moment now anyway,” Gabriel said behind him, followed by a rustle.

“What do-“ Jack turned around to face his partner, being greeted by the sight of a beautiful pale silver ring held in Gabriel’s dirt covered fingers.

“What the fuck?”

“Jack Morrison, now that we’ve saved the world and get to do whatever the hell we want. Would you marry me?” Gabriel asked, dropping to one knee elegantly.

Jack really wanted to be the sort of man who could take such a thing in stride, but the hand that wasn’t wrapped around his stomach flew up to cover his mouth. He didn’t know what to say, too startled by the sight of Gabe on his knee, grinning confidently and holding out the ring.

“Where did you even get that?” he wheezed out between his fingers.

“A jeweller’s. Do you need some time to think?”

“A jewellers- Where in the-“

Jack shook his head, deciding that figuring out where Gabriel had managed to find a proper ring in the middle of a warzone wasn’t the most important thing right now.

“Y- yeah. Yes, of course I’d marry you.”

Gabriel’s grin split into a beautiful smile that lit up his entire face. He rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around Jack quickly, face tucked against his neck.

“You’re making me the happiest man in the world, you know that Jackie?”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Jack replied, holding his partner tightly.

“I mean it. You’ve always had my back, you’re the reason I managed to survive SEP, you’re the best second in command anyone could ever dream of. You’re loyal and hardworking and nobody ever made me as happy as you,” Gabriel said against Jack’s shoulder, his voice choked up. “And now we can be a family. I always wanted that. Just someone as important to me as you, and a life together. A child isn’t even something I thought I needed, but now that it’s happening, and I have you by my side, and the war is over-“

Jack squeezed Gabriel tight, feeling his eyes sting. He truly hadn’t imagined that leaving home the second he could would lead to this. Nothing about this was planned, and yet it felt like fate had arranged for his life to lead to a point as perfect as this anyway…

After a while Gabriel pulled away enough to take Jack’s hand in his.

“I really hope this fits,” he said as he carefully worked the ring onto Jack’s finger.

It did, looking as if it was specifically designed for him. Though his hands were dirty and dusty, Jack could already tell that the colour would look beautiful on his hand as well.

“How do you want to get married? I suppose I should know that if I am to plan something nice.”

Jack shrugged.

“You know, I wouldn’t say no to finding a registry right now but I doubt we would have much luck with that.”

Gabriel laughed and kissed Jack fondly.

“I’d do the same. No worries, we’ll find someone willing to officiate once the party has calmed down.”

They stood quietly for a few moments, admiring the way the sun reflected on the ring. Then Gabriel laughed again.

“Can I just ask you to never mention to my family how I knocked you up before proposing though? They’re all catholic, I feel like they’d serve my head on a plate if they knew.”

“This is the real reason why you proposed, isn’t it, Reyes?” Jack growled and shoved Gabriel lightly. “I feel used.”

“Aw, no, babe,” Gabriel half whined half laughed. “I always knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I just really wanted this-“

He gestured at the gorgeous view of the ocean.

“I wanted to do this once the war was over. From the start. If I’d known you’d end up pregnant I’d have hurried up and done it ages ago, but like this it just felt like there was no point in rushing it anyway.”

“I’ll believe you,” Jack allowed graciously, holding back his smile. Honestly, he couldn’t care less about whether he was married to Gabriel or not. Well, he _did_ desperately want to make a life and grow old with the man, but he didn’t care about what others thought. The ring on his finger felt nice. It was proof to the world that he was loved, that Gabriel and he belonged together.

“What I can’t believe is that you actually went down on one knee. Who does that anymore?”

“And I can’t believe I’m marrying a guy who has no sense for romance,” Gabriel muttered. “Trust me, if I could, I would have put roses and candles all over the place for this. With fancy dinner and a band crooning in the distance. It’s sweet, damn it.”

“I’ve never been more glad that a war got in the way,” Jack replied deadpan, earning a slap to the shoulder.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Jack’s middle, head leaning against his shoulder. They stared out across the ocean, letting the thought of peace and a future settle in. With their view none of the destruction below was visible, and it was easy to imagine a world that had recovered from the Crisis.

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” Jack said quietly.

“It’s easy to believe that you’re from Indiana when you’re being corny like that,” Gabriel replied. “But I can’t wait either.”

Jack smiled and leaned his head against Gabriel’s.

For the first time in years he wasn’t dreading what the next day or week might bring. He could just let things happen now. Everything would be good from now on, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future would hold.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding bells and a trip to L.A. to meet the rest of the Reyes household

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Your local Texas boy is subbing in to post this week's chapter! Hope you enjoy it!  
> If it wasn't obvious, we have a vaguely Jewish Jack Morrison headcanon (Courtesy of Val themselves <3)   
> Also Also this is your warning for the copious amounts of fluff ahead. We are not sorry.

The Strike Team was as excited about the news as if Jack’s child was their own flesh and blood. Ana already knew, of course, but her joy as she congratulated Jack and Gabriel wasn’t any less than that of the others without the element of surprise. 

Liao kept shaking their head and asking whether the two of them were really _sure_ and whether this wasn’t just a case of indigestion (which apparently had happened to their sister, something their family never let her live down).

Reinhardt had tears in his eyes and kept twitching weirdly, until Gabriel realized that for the first time since knowing the Crusader he was holding back from trying to crush someone in a hug. He barely moved when Jack took pity to embrace him briefly. 

Torbjörn turned to Gabriel after congratulating them and promised to share some father to be advice if needed, since his wife was back home in Sweden with a few little children of their own and he had experience. Despite his attempts to act as if he was an old-timer at this, and too used to such a situation to be too excited, Gabriel still spotted how choked up and happy the engineer was. 

The news nearly overshadowed the celebration of having won a war, with Reinhardt immediately setting out to cook something special for the occasion and Liao mixing together some weird punch made of various types of juice and soda, surprisingly still good despite their lament of not having a nice shot of vodka to make the concoction taste better.

Gabriel finally allowed himself to puff up with pride as he watched his friends chat about nothing else, finally getting to express his excitement openly. In all of the chaos of partying and congratulations he nearly forgot about letting the higher ups know about what was going on. It was Jack, who - ever so mindful of the non combat part of their duties - called up the UN, managing to catch Gabrielle Adawe on the line despite her stressful task of organizing meetings between leaders of various nations and Omnics. Gabriel had to choke back a laugh as he heard his fiancé talk to her on the phone, laying on his charm as thick as possible.

No, of course they hadn’t planned this back when they started their relationship, they had only found out a few days ago, being much too busy with the Crisis, and they would prefer to get married officially, out of religious believes, but he would understand if their ranks got in the way…

It always amazed him how easily Jack could twist truths so much while sounding so believable even Gabriel was willing to take his word for it. In the end Jack weaseled a permission to go ahead with their private relationship without it affecting their ranks, and even for leave for as long as they needed out of the under-secretary-general. Though he suspected that Gabrielle saw through some of it at least, and simply didn’t feel like denying the world’s heroes some family time after the past years due to bureaucracy. She was reasonable like that.

With this last problem settled, nothing stood in their way anymore.

Jack disappeared the following day, dragging Ana along and telling Gabriel to stay back and deal with what he had to. With the temporary base being run by the military proper Gabriel ended up with nothing to do, so he called the Strike Team together for the mission of “prepare a reception before Jackie returns”.

Liao saluted and commandeered Reinhardt to come along and help decorate a room, their expression as serious as it had never been when Gabriel told them to follow real orders. It was weirdly touching though. Torbjörn meanwhile dragged out a grill and an entire crate worth of food, expertly picking out something to make meal worthy of such a short notice reception. There would be no cake but a tiered stack of hot dogs would do.

As Gabriel helped with the cooking, Torbjörn also pulled up a laptop to figure out how to actually make things official.

“That can’t be that easy,” the engineer muttered when two minutes of search yielded an instruction on how to become an ordained minister within less than an hour.

Gabriel shrugged.

“Hey, as long as it’s actually legit I don’t mind. I’d rather you marry us than me going out and finding some priest.”

With that settled he went to check on what Liao and Reinhardt had cobbled up. The common room of the Strike Team had been cleared of most furniture, leaving only a big couch and a large table for food. Reinhardt had twisted various sheets into garlands and hung some more up on the walls to decorate the room with white, and plastic cups with daisies provided a sweet touch. Liao had even managed to find a cup actually made of glass, already placed on the floor.

“Thought Jack would appreciate this,” they commented.

A thin pillow was found, decidedly too big for the purpose but good enough for Reinhardt to use it in his new function of being the ring bearer.

By the time a giant pile of hot dogs and roasted vegetables was arranged as artfully as possible Ana returned, followed by Jack with a brilliant grin. He held a box in his hand, unmistakably the kind used for jewellery, and he stopped in his tracks as he saw the way the place had been prepared.

“You shouldn’t have,” he said, visibly touched despite how makeshift the arrangements were.

“Be glad there’s been a war, you wouldn’t believe the pretty wedding I’d organize otherwise,” Gabriel purred as he wrapped his arms around Jack.

The box he held really did contain a ring, made of a dark metal and beautiful swirls engraved on the inside. He’d somehow managed to find a place to buy it that wasn’t destroyed, and with Ana’s help he had managed to acquire something as pretty as that.

“I didn’t think you bought a ring for yourself,” Jack explained. “And I really felt like we should get this much right at least.”

With that, the reception started. 

Jack worked his own ring off his finger and both were placed on the pillow in Reinhardt’s hands. Nobody had their dress uniforms on hand and it was decided that fatigues were good enough anyway. Torbjörn took his place by the wall with the windows, Liao and Ana both took their place behind Jack and Gabriel as the maid of honour and the “best dude”, and Reinhardt choked back tears despite everything being as casual as it could get.

“Let’s get to it,” Torbjörn said as soon as the soon to be married couple took their positions. “I know you’re all sure, and nobody really cares for the preamble, so I’ll just ask you. Do you, Commander Reyes want to take Commander Morrison to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Yes,” Gabriel shot out as if he was being asked this during a drill, confident and eyes glowing.

“Right, wouldn’t have asked yesterday if you didn’t… And do you, Commander Morrison, want to take Commander Reyes to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Yes, of course,” Jack said, just the tiniest bit of choked up.

Reinhardt stepped forwards to present the rings, his good eye definitely glinting with tears now, as Jack and Gabriel took the rings and gently placed them on each other’s fingers. As soon as that was done Torbjörn clapped his hands together.

“I now pronounce you husband and husband. Get on with the snogging you two.”

Jack turned to embrace Gabriel for a sweet little kiss, but before he could do so arms were wrapping around his waist and neck and he was dipped low. Gabriel was kissing him as lewdly as possible, open mouthed and warm until both of them couldn’t keep their laughter at bay anymore.

The team started cheering, as Gabriel let Jack stand up straight again long enough for him to step on the glass Liao had helpfully provided. It shattered with a pleasantly crisp sound, and they picked up the shards carefully before then everyone was upon them for congratulations. With only four people wanting to congratulate them that part was over soon.

Liao was picked to be the one with the best music taste and their player was put on to provide a nice cheerful background noise. Reinhardt produced a bottle of champagne to the cheer of everyone around them. He even mixed up apple juice and sparkling water for Jack, insisting that it was a nice refreshment since he couldn’t have any of the booze.

Gabriel even managed to talk Jack into one slow dance with him, despite his insistence that he couldn’t do it and Liao’s lack of songs one could actually slow dance to. It wasn’t the big epic wedding Gabriel had always sort of thought he’d have, but it was so much better than that. He wouldn’t trade slowly swaying with Jack in his arms to funky pop music for any dream wedding in the world. 

Eventually the attention of the team shifted away from the wedding and to the food and drink, with Reinhardt sitting down on the couch and Liao perching on the back of it. Ana was engrossed in a conversation with Torbjörn, and Jack focused on trying to eat as much as he could.

“So how is married life treating you?” Gabriel asked jokingly as he slid up to Jack’s side.

“’ve never been happier,” Jack replied as he stuffed the last few bites of chicken hot dog into his mouth. “Amazing.”

He took a sip from his diluted juice and then let Gabriel try it as well. It was nice, a little like soda but not nearly as sweet.

“So,” Jack asked after a few moments. “What’s the plan now?”

“I figured we could combine our honeymoon and parental leave,” Gabriel said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Would you mind coming to LA with me? We wouldn’t have to stay with my family of course, we could rent a small house near the beach out of town, I just figure we should try and stay in one place for a bit? And I at least know the area well.”

To his relief Jack smiled.

“I’d love to. You can show me where you used to hang out at as a kid.”

Gabriel relaxed. They were married and were having a child, of course he shouldn’t feel weird about liking the idea of Jack meeting his family.

“You’re sure? If you want to go back to Bloomington instead-“

“I’d go mad if I had to stay there for several months with nothing to do,” Jack interrupted him firmly. “No, find me a house near the ocean and I’ll go wherever you want.”

“Anything for you, sunshine,” Gabriel promised and pressed a kiss to Jack’s temple.

It would be strange to go back to civilian life for a while, but now Gabriel had to actively keep himself from slinging Jack over his shoulder to run to the nearest airport. He had waited for years, he could wait for a few hours longer to start their honeymoon and married life properly.

 

*

 

There was very little to pack all things considered. Five years of their lives and it all fit in two duffel bags with their names stamped across the olive green fabric.

A quick breakfast and one last sweep of their empty rooms later and Gabriel stood by Jack’s side to say goodbye to his Strike Team, most likely seeing them for the last time that year. Ana would spend some time with Fareeha and Sam in Canada, Liao talked about wanting to travel and just relax, Torbjörn and Reinhardt would both go to Sweden. The war was officially over, with the last remaining fights contained in extremely small local areas and without any functioning Omnium left. It was only a matter of time, diplomatic talks, and keeping the last rebelling Omnics under siege now, which thankfully didn’t require the Strike Team’s input anymore. 

There was a long group hug and a promise of writing the second everyone arrived where they were going.

It was strange to part with them, Gabriel thought, after having commanded them for so long while going through truly horrifying times together. He did want to go back to civilian life just for a little while, and spend some time with nobody besides Jack, but he would miss them deeply.

When all goodbyes were said there was no reason to stall any longer. Everyone picked up their bags and parted ways. Two hours later Jack was dozing against his shoulder as Gabriel looked out of the window of a commercial plane on a transatlantic flight. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d set foot in one of those, probably as a teenager, and it was only the people around them that kept him from wrapping an arm around Jack, and another around his barely changed midsection.

With how little Jack’s appearance had changed it felt strange to really imagine how things would be for them, as a family, with a little one of their own. Gabriel knew that this was happening, of course, had sat next to Jack last time they had checked on the health of their child despite Jack’s reluctance to face whatever the screen might say. His abs had looked the same as always at that point, and Gabriel’s mind wasn’t able to provide and mental image for Jack looking any different either. Perhaps Gabriel’s brain would catch up to his joy once they spent some time far away from any battle, so he decided not to worry about how unreal it felt for now.

When they touched down in LA the summer sun was beating down on them and the air was dry and hot, with the ocean breeze not reaching them. There weren’t very many people as they made their way to the exit, not having any luggage to collect.

The second Gabriel stepped outside an excited shout greeted him, familiar and unchanged from the last time he’d heard it. He looked up just to see a tall woman with a plump face and caramel dyed curls run towards him, standing out from the travelers around her with a stylish white linen suit.

“Cassi!” He called out, immediately dropping his bag and opening his arms for his oldest sister to crash into him and pull him into a hug.

“Gabriel! Oh you look good!” Cassandra called after pressing a kiss to his cheek and stepping away to look him up and down. “Real all American beef I see.”

“Oh shut it,” Gabriel shot back, lightly nudging her shoulder. “And you, all made up like a proud business owner. Restaurant’s running good?”

Cassi waved him off.

“As good as it can be with all the best import products rationed. But look at you, you’re the hero who fixed this.”

Then her eyes finally moved to look at Jack. Gabriel noticed his husband twitch for a second, before straightening his back and trying not to let on how nervous he was about making a good impression on Gabriel’s family. Cassi didn’t notice the signs of it though, and a warm smile spread over her face.

“You must be Jack! Oh, Gabriel told us all so much about you. Cassandra Reyes, this one’s oldest sister,” she reached out to shake Jack’s hand, and the moment he took it she pulled him into a hug.

He froze for a moment, before returning the hug with a crooked smile.

“Nice to finally meet you,” he said once Cassandra let go of him. “And thank you for picking us up.”

“Oh no problem. Didn’t want you two war heroes to deal with cabs or car rentals around here.”

She raised an eyebrow at the meager luggage the two soldiers had, before shrugging and waving them along to the parking spaces. Cassandra had a nice car, an older model but big enough to use for her work as a restaurant owner and mother who volunteered to drive her daughter’s friends around sometimes as well.

As she helped Jack store their bags in the trunk her eyes fell on his hand, where his ring caught the light perfectly. Her eyes widened, darted to check Gabriel’s hand as well, and then she let out another excited yelp.

“So you actually did get married!” she laughed, gesturing at the rings. “I kind of thought it was a joke. Really, bro, knocking up the very first person you ever dated? That’s somehow the sort of dumb thing I’d expect but not believe of you.”

Gabriel could feel Jack’s eyes on him as his cheeks flushed.

“The first? Didn’t you tell me you dated in school?”

“She’s joking,” Gabriel said quickly, causing Cassandra to let out a half choked laugh.

“Oh he did. When he was 12 he had a boyfriend for two days. Then the poor kid wanted to hold hands and my dumb brother panicked and broke up because he thought it was going too fast!”

“Cállate Pendeja!”

“And then his second boyfriend,” Cassandra went on, completely unfazed by the super soldier trying to run around the car to make her shut up physically. “When he was 13 he drew this superhero character who would rescue him and they’d be boyfriends together. He was all anime looking and adorable. What was his name again, Gabriel?”

Gabriel let out a pained groan as he dragged his hands over his face while Jack, bless him, was trying very hard not to laugh at him.

“Then in 9th grade you wrote that thing about some super villain killing you and your boyfriend swearing revenge to-“

“Please, _stop_ , we get it,” Gabriel hissed out, and Cassandra pinched his cheek with a laugh.

“You’re still as easily embarrassed as when you left to enlist. Good to know.”

Gabriel let out a sigh but felt weirdly glad to realize that he could still be normal with his family like that. For years his only family had been other soldiers, and though this was his oldest sister making sure to embarrass him in front of his husband, it still was… normal.

“I think it’s cute,” Jack said, with a look that promised endless teasing once they were in private. He had at least this much respect for his husband’s dignity. 

“Alright, let’s get going,” Cassandra said. “Leggy blondes get to ride shotgun, Gabriel, get your fat butt on the back seat.”

“I like his fat butt,” Jack said as he walked around the car to open the door.

“Good! You can thank mami for this later, I’m just glad Gabriel has someone to appreciate it,” Gabriel heard his sister say as he climbed into the backseat. 

“Do you really have to do this?” he asked as Cassandra closed the door behind her and started the engine.

“Of course, how else am I to bond with a new family member,” she said before turning to Jack. “This is a fancy car by the way, it has heaters for your butt. Not that you’d want it in this weather, but it’s possible.”

At that Gabriel decided that it was time to zone out. Cassandra started asking Jack about his family’s farm in Indiana, while Jack in turn wanted to know about her restaurant. Instead of joining that conversation Gabriel leaned against his seat so that the cool air from the AC was hitting him just right and focused on the world outside.

The city looked a lot like he remembered it for the most part. Old stores, old buildings with new coats of paint, the corner he used to hang out around when he needed to drive to the fancier fabric store… Some things had changed, and occasionally Gabriel would see spots that he knew for sure had been destroyed during the first attacks of Omnics when the war had still held Los Angeles in a death grip, which were now repaired or filled with new buildings, the city quickly swallowing up signs of destruction to move on with life. It still felt the same though.

Cassandra avoided the worst bits of traffic expertly and soon they were driving to a residential area with nice mismatched houses. A large caramel and red house came into view, overgrown by ivy on one side and with a tree rising higher than its roof visible behind it. A basketball hoop hung over the garage and even from the car Gabriel noticed that it was still a little lopsided from when he’d hung on it for too long as a 17 year old. Little had changed, besides new plants growing in the same old pots. 

They exited the car, grabbed their bags, and then Gabriel was already leading Jack up the stairs of the porch to the house. The second he opened the door to step inside excited voices rose up. The first thing that happened was a blur of a woman sliding down the rails of the staircase by the door, her long black hair like a meteor’s trail. Then Rita was already jumping into Gabriel’s arms, in an attempt to knock him off his feet. Gabriel swung her around easily, laughing at her shrieks, not even slightly thrown off balance.

“Are they here?” came the voice of his mother, and two sets of feet clattered over the floor.

Gabriel’s parents came into view from the living room, Evalía and Xavier Reyes rushing in to greet their only son. His mother looked as if she was about to cry as she joined her middle daughter in embracing Gabriel, and his father awkwardly managed to reach around both of them to kind of get in on the hug as well.

He hugged them as best as he could, laughing and trying to blink away tears. It felt like only yesterday he’d left for basics, leaving behind his entire family. And now Gabriel was back in the home he grew up in. They had barely changed at all, his father’s dark hair streaked with a little bit more grey and his mother looking as well put together as ever. 

“Bibi, oh darling, you look well,” Evalía said once she finally let go, only to cup Gabriel’s face in her hands, fingers brushing over the scars he didn’t have when last he left. “You didn’t lie to me when you said you were well, right?”

“I’m so glad you’re home,” Xavier added, beaming with pride. “And as a war hero as well!”

Then everyone’s attention shifted to Jack and at once Gabriel, the returning son, was shoved aside.

“Jack! Congratulations my boy,” Gabriel’s mother exclaimed, pulling Jack into a hug easily. She was quite a bit shorter than him, but Jack let himself be dragged around easily.

“Pleasure meeting you, ma’am” Jack said politely, to which she quickly shushed him.

“None of this, it’s either Evalía or mami! You’re part of the family now, and unless Bibi was bragging and talking nonsense you’re to thank for more grandchildren!”

She took hold of his hand to examine the ring Gabriel had given him, letting out a happy sigh and placing a hand over her chest.

“I’m happy Gabriel had someone to watch his back,” Xavier said as he gently pushed his wife aside to shake Jack’s hand as well. “I know how important such camaraderie is in the army.”

“Bet you’re the reason why he’s not dead from some stupid stunt,” Rita added, patting Jack’s arm to unsubtly get a feel of his solid biceps, causing Jack to laugh awkwardly. It was _Gabriel_ who had to keep Jack from running headfirst into every danger he saw, but it wasn’t something they brought up much.

“We can nag them later,” Cassandra interrupted just as Xavier was about to add on to that. “Mami made sure your room isn’t covered in dust and you can relax after your flight. Let me show you.”

With that she quickly guided Jack up the stairs and away from her family, with Gabriel and Evalía quickly following. Gabriel heard his father grab his car keys and exit with a quick excuse, and Rita turned to go to the kitchen instead.

Behind the stairs came a long and narrow hallway, taking a turn to the right and finally to Gabriel’s room. A few badges of old metal bands decorated the wood, and as Evalía opened it Gabriel could see from outside that nothing had changed at all. His bed was made with fresh sheets, and from the door he could already see that there were old high school text books on the shelves, as he had never gotten around to sell them, as well as his sewing machine and a tailor’s dummy with a ren-faire outfit under a plastic sheet. 

“There, you can relax before it’s time to eat,” Evalía said, as she stepped aside to let Jack carry their bags inside. “I made sure there’s shampoo and whatever else you need in the bathroom, and the water runs just fine despite how long nobody put those pipes to good use.”

“Thank you!” Jack said, moving further into the room. “I’ll take a quick shower if you don’t mind me going first, Gabe?”

“Go ahead,” he replied, and already Jack darted to the bathroom. He’d complained about feeling uncomfortable and dizzy on the plane, so a cold shower might help.

Gabriel turned to his mother with a smile. 

“Thanks for preparing everything for us,” he said. “I know it’s a bit short notice for how you like to plan around guests, but really, thanks.” 

Just as Gabriel was about to turn back to his room to join Jack his mother stepped in front of him. Before he could ask whether she needed anything else Evalía had her arms wrapped around him, face pressed against his neck and hands in his unstyled messy hair. Gabriel froze in surprise, and then relaxed to embrace his mother. He didn’t know how long they stood there, but eventually he notices his mother’s shoulders trembling slightly. 

“Mami, what’s wrong?”

She leaned back, unshed tears in her eyes as her face twitched into what Gabriel hoped was a smile. Evalía stared at him, her hands reaching up to cup her son’s face. Fingers traced over his beard, which he had only just started growing when he left home, and over scars he had earned in the war.

“Nothing, Bibi. I’m just... You’re really here, home with me.”

Gabriel’s hands covered hers, eyes burning suspiciously. He would not cry in front of his mother when he had just come home, he absolutely would not.

“I promised I’d come back, right?”

“Promised… You’re my baby boy, of course I worried. But you’re here now, and I’m just so-“

Evalía took a deep shaky breath, gently dabbing at her eyes to wipe away the tears without smudging her makeup. When she looked up at Gabriel again her eyes were still shining but her smile was genuine.

“Enough of this. You’re home and this is a joyful occasion. Look at you. You will be a father soon, and you’re a _hero_. I’m so proud Bibi. We all are.”

“Mami, I-“

“Now come on, go take a break with your sweetheart while I’ll go see that Cassi doesn’t kill your sister for saying one doesn’t need to measure spice proportions.”

She winked, and already she was moving down the hallway, leaving Gabriel to laugh about his sister’s reign of terror in the kitchen still being an issue.

He took a moment to wipe at his eyes to make sure that there were no tears, before returning to his room. Jack already was stretched out on the bed after a quick skip into the shower, hair damp and chin resting on his hand, looking down at the holopad that was opened to the Strike Team’s group chat. He glanced up as Gabriel entered, and smiled.

“Ana’s sending her regards and pictures of Fareeha,” he said as he held up the pad to show Gabriel a photo of a little girl holding a giant cone of ice cream and sporting a gap toothed smile.

The fondness in his expression made Gabriel’s heart clench. Jack had no time to add anything else before Gabriel was on the bed already, snogging him silly. Jack’s hands flew up to grab hold of Gabriel’s jacket, laughing against his lips.

“What the hell? What was that for?”

“For being adorable and my loving husband of course,” Gabriel shot back, trying to kiss Jack again but failing as Jack twisted around expertly and two knees were rammed into his chest.

“Stop. I’m not making out with you when your room doesn’t even have a lock and your entire family is here!”

“You want me to put a sock on the door knob?”

Jack wrinkled his nose.

“Is this what you do when you have siblings?”

Gabriel burst out laughing but climbed off the bed to reach for his duffel bag and get out some civilian clothes. Whatever was stored in his closet would most likely not fit in every conceivable way, with his last growth spurt and how he had bulked up during the crisis. His eyes fell on Jack’s compression shirt, greedily taking in the sight of well defined muscles straining against dark fabric and-

“You’re showing,” Gabriel blurted out.

“What?”

He pointed at Jack’s stomach, usually the perfect plane of abs and breathtaking muscle definition. If Gabriel wasn’t so used to that sight he wouldn’t have noticed, but there was a subtle swell to those abs now, one that wasn’t there before.

Jack ran a hand over his stomach, wincing when he noticed. His ears turned bright red at the sensation.

“I think I should add getting proper clothes for my to do list,” he said sheepishly. “Doubt these will fit for much longer.”

Gabriel was about to say how he absolutely did not mind seeing the change, before he caught himself.

“Are you comfortable with that? Those changes? We didn’t really talk about it, but please tell me if you’re not. Not sure what I could do to help, but I’d try.”

Jack watched him for a few moments, before humming and running his hand over his stomach again.

“Hey, it is just weird right now? It’s not noticeable enough to really be obvious for what it is, but eventually people will guess that I’m pregnant at first glance. I’ll get used to it.”

His cheeks flushed darker.

“It’s just a little weird to know I look different than what I’m used to.”

Gabriel thought for a moment, before motioning at Jack’s duffel bag.

“Go pick a lighter shirt, I have something that might help but you’ll overheat if you layer up too much.”

Jack raised his brows but did as he was told, getting up and picking out the only light t-shirt he owned. Gabriel turned away to keep himself from watching Jack undress, instead opening his closet door and quickly finding what he needed. His favourite flannel was old, from a thrift store and several sizes too big, but the black, red and purple fabric was soft to the touch and light enough to be perfect for summer. He held it out to Jack who snorted at the sight.

“So weird to see your old clothes,” he commented, but put it on.

It fit perfectly on his broad shoulders, and the way it hung open against Jack’s waist hid the slight bump despite how tight his shirt was.

Gabriel raised his thumb.

“Got my boyfriend to wear my clothes? Nice, one off the list.”

“Hey,” Jack protested as Gabriel already moved towards his bathroom, stopping him in his tracks. For a moment Jack stared at him, scowling and fists against his hips. Then he cracked a grin. “Husband. You got your _husband_ in your clothes.”

Gabriel placed a hand against his heart and pressed his lips together.

“To think that nobody told teenage me that this would happen in this very room…”

Jack’s laughter followed Gabriel into the bathroom. 

By the time Gabriel had taken a quick shower and seized the opportunity to use fancy soap like he hadn’t gotten to for way too long, the scent of food was drifting up to his room. Jack was back to lying on the bed as Gabriel emerged while carding fingers through his hair in an attempt to brush it back, waiting patiently though he kept glancing towards the door.

“Time to eat I guess,” Gabriel announced, waving Jack along.

The table was already being set when the two soldiers arrived in the large kitchen that was separated by a small bar to make room for a dining area. Cassandra was finishing up the last dishes, while Rita was walking back and forth to carry plates, cups, and cutlery to the table, expertly avoiding the dog bed in the way. A pug mix was asleep on it, completely ignoring both food and commotion.

“Mami, let me help,” Gabriel said the second he saw what was going on, years of taking care of chores kicking in.

Evalía firmly shook her head, waving him off and not letting Jack get any closer either.

“You two are veterans and heroes of war, no table setting.”

“I don’t mind,” Jack tried to speak up, but was shot down immediately as well.

“No dear, you’re a guest and the newest addition to the family, no setting the table for you either.”

Gabriel shrugged and pulled Jack along before he could get uncomfortable about it. He knew from experience that Jack always tried to insert himself in such simple tasks, not liking sitting idly while people worked around him.

“There’s no use arguing with her,” he said as he ushered Jack down to sit at the table, already reaching for a bottle of orange juice to fill up his cup despite the annoyed look. “Just enjoy being pampered like this.”

Jack hummed, and then his eyes fell on the dog.

“Is that your pet?”

Gabriel threw a glance at the pug mix.

“Yeah, we got him when I was in my last year of high school, as a puppy. Tutu is either asleep or running around like he’s possessed, never anything else.”

Rita leaned her elbows against the counter with a grin.

“Hey Jack, guess what Bibi insisted on calling the poor dog? Nosferatu.”

“It was a joint decision,” Gabriel protested as Jack snorted at that.

Then Rita was called back to helping her mother and sister, leaving the two. They had to make several trips, carrying giant bowls piled high with various vegetables and meats, the scents coming from them making Gabriel’s mouth water. Having a proper chef in the family certainly had its perks, and with the mass of food he suspected there’d be leftovers, even with two super soldiers at the table.

The sound of the door opening made everyone look up towards the hallway, and then there were quick steps, a loud thud followed by Xavier saying something about not throwing things, and then the last Reyes sister was running through the door.

Mikey took one look at Gabriel before she was already leaping into his arms, nearly knocking him out of his chair. Gabriel instinctively caught her, laughing as his younger sister clung to him as hard as she could.

“You’re home!” she shouted against Gabriel’s shoulder, bouncing excitedly without letting go at all.

“Michaela, leave him alone, you’re choking him,” Cassandra tried to intervene, but the teenager wouldn’t let that deter her.

“Who cares about breathing,” Gabriel joked. “Mikey, you gotta let go if you want to let me see you.”

With some grumbling she detached herself after all, pouting as she let Gabriel take her in. She looked much older of course, her cheekbones standing out better than when he’d seen her face to face. Mikey’s short curls hung into her face, with one side of her head shaved, and she wore smoky eye that Gabriel suspected was just last day’s make up she hadn’t washed off right.

“You got taller,” he commented, and Mikey squeezed his arms to shoot back a “And you got buff!”

There was some envy in her eyes, as her teenage body refused to put on proper muscles yet, despite how often she tried to go to work out. Though Gabriel did notice that she wasn’t as lanky as she had claimed in her last letters.

Then Mikey’s eyes moved over to Jack, and she squinted slightly. Jack smiled and waved at her. 

“Hey there. I’m Jack Morrison.”

“Hi”, she said slowly, her fingers digging into Gabriel’s shirt. She was staring Jack up and down, eyes narrowed, and Gabriel had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from laughing. Of course Mikey would be the one to actually take the time to judge Jack before deciding on whether he new brother in law was good enough or not. Evidently he passed her test for now, as she got up and shrugged. 

“Go wash your hands and come eat,” Cassi called over her shoulder, to which Mikey replied with a groan and an eye roll. She did dash off to the sink though, and then the entire family was ready to eat. 

Cold watermelon juice was poured for everyone and then the entire family was finally sitting at one table. 

“To our heroes,” Evalía said, raising her glass to Gabriel and Jack. “To the two men who helped ensure that humanity has a future, and to their own personal future as well.”

Everyone clinked glasses and Gabriel took a sip of the sweet home made juice. Mikey grinned as she turned to him. 

“You know, some kids made a mural of you. I see it every day on my way to school.”

Gabriel stared at her, trying to determine whether she was taking the piss. 

“A mural?”

“Yeah, all big and inspired by classical paintings. It’s the Strike Team defending our planet, but you’re all front and center and they picked a really good picture to reference for a nine foot version of your face. It’s really making you proud to be born in the same city as the great Commander Reyes.”

Gabriel felt his cheeks heat up as Jack laughed.

“I want to see that now.”

“We can go to the city together and I’ll show you,” Rita piped up. “Since you probably need to go and buy stuff anyway, if all you brought is in a duffle bag. How about tomorrow?”

“Anything to see what they painted,” Jack said before Gabriel could interrupt and tell Rita to back off. 

“I’ll make sure to take a day off for that,” Cassi said in between two sips of her drink, but before Mikey managed to say something about skipping class to join as well Xavier threw her a stern look and she returned to staring at her food instead. 

“Good idea, Cassi can drive us around if we really need it, but it’s much easier to walk once we’re there. Just tell us what you want and we can have a nice day out,” Rita went on.

Gabriel glanced between his sisters, frowning a little. While he was glad that his family was happy to have Jack there, he also didn’t want them to jump on him too much. Jack tended to go quiet when people tried to get friendly with him, and was often too polite to keep people at the distance he wanted them. 

But as he looked at Jack, his husband was smiling brightly at the Reyes women, relaxed and genuinely excited about making plans to go to the city with them. It was enough to reassure Gabriel that he didn’t need to step in for him, so he turned his attention to his mother’s cooking and Mikey’s stories of people they knew instead. 

It felt as if he had never left, as if this was just one of the lunches the family tried to have together at least once a week, shoved into everyone’s busy lives. Everyone was focusing on asking Jack things, but only because he was the one who had an untapped well of things to learn about him. It felt natural though, as if he was a good friend or distant cousin who hadn’t visited in a while. 

Gabriel felt Jack’s foot hook around his ankle halfway through the meal, a spot of contact instead of holding hands. He hid his smile and nudged his knee against Jack’s.

Despite his worries his two families had blended together seamlessly, and Gabriel couldn’t have asked for anything else in the world. 

 

*

 

Gabriel leaned against the couch comfortably, listening to his parents’ familiar chatter from the kitchen and enjoying the presence of his sisters. Jack was curled against him like a cat, head leaning against Gabriel’s shoulder. Occasionally he’d sip some of his Tequila Sunrise, which was precisely why Gabriel had opted for one with soda rather than alcohol while the rest of the family has having a proper one.

 

Mikey kept throwing annoyed glances from her armchair, as Gabriel always let her have a few sips from his drinks when Cassi insisted that she couldn’t have any. She’d always been stricter about it than their parents somehow. 

“Abuelita just wrote, she’s congratulating you and wants to talk this weekend,” Rita said from where she was stretched out on the floor, feet kicked up and Tutu napping next to her. “I bet she’ll want to visit as soon as she can.”

“My grandma Eliana. She’s in Florida,” Gabriel told Jack, who insisted on being told about each of the Reyes family members whenever the conversation turned to them. “Helping out her friend’s family as they’re having a bit of a rough time handling their shop and kids with several of them gone to the army or something.”

Jack nodded and ran a hand over his stomach absentmindedly. 

“I’d love to meet her, if she wants to. I doubt any of my extended family will care enough to make the trip.”

Jack’s mother had an extended family to more than match the Reyes clan, though they weren’t as tightly knit. Hard to do so, with half of them in some small European towns and the other half scattered over three continents and countless time zones. 

“Lets see,” Rita muttered, swiping through her holopad to check who had replied to the good news of a new child joining the ranks. “I think most of them are trying to come up with some congratulations to put everyone else to shame, Marty thinks I’m joking, aunty Sandy wants as much detail as possible and- Oh wow.”

“What,” Gabriel asked and looked up from where he was petting Jack’s hair. 

“Cousin Miguel said he knew you were just too awkward and used being gay as an excuse to get out of being dragged to blind dates by him.”

Gabriel let out a grown and resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Mikey snorted. 

“Want to place a bet on who’s gonna be the first to tell him?”

“What’s the point, it’s always Abuelita anyway,” Rita snickered and swiped on. 

Jack glanced up at Gabriel. 

“Who’s that?”

“The token idiot of the generation,” Gabriel said. “He tried to set me up with everyone he laid eyes on, even some guys as a last ditch effort. Didn’t get that I never wanted to hang out cause of _him_ , not the dates.”

Jack chuckled and poked Gabriel in the side. 

“What if letting your cousin set you up with a buddy led to meeting the love of your life?”

“Couldn’t have happened, Miguel didn’t have any buddies outside of California, let alone Indiana,” Gabriel replied easily as Jack’s cheeks flushed in pleasure, causing Rita to coo and Mikey to throw a scandalized look his way. 

“No sap allowed in the living room,” Cassi commented before either of her sisters could start mocking him. 

“Great, I’ll take the sap to the bedroom then,” Gabriel shot back, getting up and hooking his arm under Jack’s knees and back to hoist him up despite the laughter and protests. 

“Sure, but if you get loud I’ll personally put toothpaste in all your shoes,” Rita called from the floor, not looking up from her holopad. 

After a pointed eyebrow raise from Gabriel, Jack flipped her off in his stead, still laughing quietly as he was carried upstairs. 

They got undressed and were ready for bed quickly, sharing the small bathroom space to brush their teeth. Gabriel’s old bed was a little small, but incredibly comfortable with lots of pillows and sheets that were more plush than any army supplies. 

Jack sighed as he pulled the blanket around himself, until only the top of his face and his hair was sticking out. 

“This is so nice, honestly if I’d known I get to sleep in a bed like this after marrying you I’d have done it a lot sooner.”

Gabriel laughed and wrapped his arms around Jack outside of the blanket, pulling him close. 

“Whatever, you get to enjoy my choice of beds for the rest of your life now.”

Jack smiled at him, and there was not a trace of teasing in his expression. 

“Honestly? I’m glad.”

Gabriel looked at him, taking in the sharp angles of his face and the faint stubble on his cheeks, the way his eyes shone in the dim light. He wasn’t sure what to say, words failing him in expressing what he felt. 

Instead he leaned over to kiss Jack softly, lips brushing together in a familiar touch.

It was just a brief touch, but when Gabriel pulled back the smile on Jack’s face was enough to know that the gesture had been understood. Jack’s hand moved out from under the covers to clasp Gabriel’s, and they both settled against the pillows, face to face and at ease. 

They were still holding hands when they fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for brief panic and PTSD

Once the two had left the Reyes family home the following day, Gabriel drove down west and to the house he’d rented before leaving Europe. It was quite a bit away from his childhood home, close to quaint seaside town from the 20s. Gabriel vaguely remembered going when he was three, his parents wanting to take a look around the newly built area. 

It had a long promenade with several shops, a few tourist traps and several houses and flats for rent with generous chunks of beach. It also had an ice cream parlour Gabriel had absolutely adored then, and had been pleased to find out still existed in his research.

The place he ha rented was more than enough for two soldiers on leave. It only had one floor, but it had a private beach, a fully functional kitchen, a garage, and was just a ten-minute walk away from the promenade. It had also come surprisingly cheap, as it’s primary customers came from overseas and international travel was still quite hesitant. Mentioning who exactly he was had certainly helped get a discount as well. 

Jack’s eyes had been on the ocean the entire time as Gabriel drove; only returning his attention to the conversation once it disappeared from view.

“We’re here,” Gabriel announced as he drove up to the house, opening up the garage with the remote his father had collected for him, along with the rented car. He drove them into the garage, both picked up their bags but left what Gabriel had brought along from his home for now.

The house was beautiful from the inside as well, surpassing the way it had looked in the pictures when Gabriel had rented it. Everything was modern and clean, the large windows filling everything with bright light despite the thin curtains that had been drawn closed. It felt comfortable, with cheesy seashell decorations and light blue and white walls that went well with the light wood of the furnishings. The kitchen, dining room, and living area were all one open space, separated into sections by the placement of low shelves and a table.

Gabriel set down his bag and started his brief tour of the house to check everything over, making himself familiar with the shelves and the layout, while Jack made a beeline towards the large glass doors that opened up to the wonderful sight of the ocean. 

It was as private as Gabriel could make it, still close to other properties but shielded by rocks that lead far into the water, forming a natural bay in the ocean. The walk down was a shallow sandy path leading right from the patio down to the actual beach, with tall grass at its sides.

“Holy crap, this is amazing,” Jack let out after a few seconds of stunned silence. He stepped out onto the wood of the patio to lift up the coverings on the furniture. There were comfortable basket woven seats and a table out there, that could be comfortable enough to have dinner at.

Gabriel watched as Jack paced the area, stepping right up to the path leading down to the beach, before turning back to pace the patio again.

“Did you see this when you rented it?” Jack asked, eyes wide.

The grin on Gabriel’s face was answer enough. With a fond laugh Jack was on him, arms slung around Gabriel’s face and kissing him silly.

“I did promise a beach and all that, didn’t I?” Gabriel asked once he was allowed to take a breath. “Made sure we get as nice a private section of a beach as was available.”

Jack craned his neck to stare out into the ocean, arms still around Gabriel.

“Thank you,” he said slowly, entranced by the sight. Then he grinned and winked at his husband.

“You know we have to go take a swim right now, don’t you?”

Gabriel shook his head with a snort. 

“The water will be really cold though, don’t let it fool you.”

“I went swimming in lakes when it wasn’t summer, Gabe. And remember the missions in Siberia? I can handle a little bit of cold.”

As Gabriel refused to let himself be tugged along Jack turned on his best puppy pout, a rarely seen phenomena but one Gabriel always ended up falling for.

“Come on, we still have time before I need to go drive to the city for errands. And you can’t just dangle such a nice thing in front of me and not give it to me. What sort of husband _are_ you?”

Finally Gabriel let out a longsuffering sigh, managing to keep his grin at bay.

“Right, but you’re the one who’ll have to deal with Rita if you’re late.”

The second Gabriel’s cooperation was secured Jack detached himself and winked, peeling off the plaid shirt to put it on one of the seats. Before Gabriel could protest Jack was already walking out onto the path that lead to the water, kicking off his shoes and taking off his t-shirt as well.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gabriel called after Jack, who had managed to get halfway down to the ocean, on to pushing down his pants in the time it took for Gabriel to figure out a response.

“I don’t have swimming trunks,” Jack yelled back, now working on getting out of his underwear to Gabriel’s mild horror. “And I’m not about to get my clothes wet.”

Gabriel looked around at the empty beach, the rocks that shielded their section of land from anyone who might be nearby. 

When was the last time he’d just dropped his guard to do something stupid like this?

“Oh what the hell,” Gabriel muttered and made quick work of getting out of his own clothes to toss them on a chair hastily and running after Jack the moment he dropped them.

When he reached the edge of the waves, Jack had managed to wade far enough that the water was lapping at his waist. It was cold, but not freezing despite the late morning, so Gabriel ignored the sting against his skin and followed his husband into the ocean. His arms were covered in goose bumps but Jack looked as though they were in some nice tropical sea.

Jack threw a glance over his shoulder, grinning brightly at Gabriel.

“This is really nice,” he commented, dipping into the water up to his chin with no apparent sign of the cold being a shock.

“I think there’s a jacuzzi in the house, now _that_ would be nice.”

“Really?” Jack lit up and rose up again, water running over his chest and making his pecks shine in the warm sunlight. “Damn, you really know how to treat a man right.”

Gabriel nodded, distracted by how inviting Jack’s chest looked and too slow to escape when suddenly he was pulled into a hug, and dragged down into the water with a splash. His shout was cut off by water hitting his face, and icy cold surrounding him. He kicked against the sand and out of the water immediately, gasping for air and trying to get out of the cold.

“You traitor!” he yelled at Jack who had managed to put an impressive distance between them despite his laughter interfering with his ability to swim quickly.

Now that he was wet all over anyway it didn’t matter if he lowered himself into the water properly, so Gabriel took off behind him.

Jack usually was the better swimmer between the two, but it was clear he wasn’t really trying to escape. The second Gabriel was upon him he turned with his back to the waves, still laughing, and let Gabriel grab him around the waist. His laughter didn’t stop as salty lips met his, and not when their struggle to wrestle in the water while staying above the surface made both of them swallow some of it.

Gabriel couldn’t say for sure who won, when his hands were digging into Jack’s hips and Jack wrapped his legs around Gabriel’s waist to be carried. Their play fighting stopped when Jack leaned down to kiss Gabriel sweetly, this time managing to keep their heads high enough to not get any water in their faces.

“Honestly, thank you for bringing me here,” Jack said softly, making Gabriel pause. “I got to meet your family, and now I’m living by the sea for a bit and we can just-“

He sighed, pressing his forehead to Gabriel’s.

“I still can’t believe we just get to _be_ for a bit. This doesn’t feel real.”

Gabriel squeezed him tighter, feeling a lump in his throat. He kissed along Jack’s jaw, trying to think of what to say and hoping his emotions were conveyed in his touches. With his back to the shore and waves hitting against his skin, Jack pressed against him with nothing between them it really did feel like it wasn’t real. They were in a pocket of space and time were nothing existed, not the war, not the military, not the weight of humanity on their shoulders. Just them and the first hints of their family.

“You’ll get used to it soon,” Gabriel promised, kissing Jack on the lips. “We don’t have to do anything at all, only what we want.”

Jack’s eyes were on his, brilliant blue in the light of the morning sun and with drops of sea water clinging to his lashes like tiny specks of diamond. _Jack_ didn’t look real in that moment, too perfect to exist in Gabriel’s arms, and Gabriel felt the sudden urge to break whatever it was that made time flow by to capture this moment and live in it forever.

They remained like that for a while, with Gabriel holding Jack up and letting waves sway him gently. After a few minutes Jack sighed and leaned back to pat Gabriel’s shoulder.

“If I really could do whatever I wanted I’d make you re-enact some trashy romance novel cover and ravish me on the beach. But I got to go to the city and any beach ravishing will have to wait.”

He looked genuinely upset at that statement, the pout dampening the brief surge of lust Gabriel felt at that thought.

“Damn, thanks for telling me to go get fabric to make a pirate costume. You want a bodice for me to rip off you as well?”

Jack squinted at him.

“See, I know you’re joking but I’m half tempted to make you do it anyway.”

Gabriel laughed as he turned around to wade back to shore, not letting go of Jack despite the protests that he could swim himself. They were half hearted anyway, and Gabriel decided to pay them no mind once Jack wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on Gabriel’s shoulder.

Back on land the warm sun quickly chased away any remaining chill. They walked back to the house, picking up the clothes Jack had dropped so carelessly, and then found a small faucet at the side of the patio, allowing for a quick rinse to get rid of the coarse sand that stuck to their feet.

While Gabriel had the decency to put his shorts back on regardless of how unpleasantly they clung to his wet skin, Jack just dried his feet and tossed his clothes on the same seat Gabriel had folded his own so neatly on.

“I’ll take the shower first if you don’t mind,” Jack announced, already stepping into the house and leaving a trail where water drops landed on the floor.

“At least try to pretend like you’re not about to cause a mess,” Gabriel called behind him, reaching out just in time to give Jack a light smack on his ass before he disappeared out of reach.

Jack threw him look over his shoulder and stuck out his tongue, already off to make his way to the bathroom. Once he locked himself in and the sound of the shower started up Gabriel found himself a towel and carefully wiped his skin down until he could sit down in the kitchen safely. He waited patiently for Jack to wash off the salt and seawater, and dutifully fetched clothes when the water stopped and Jack called out to him for help.

Once Jack emerged fully dressed and with his hair dried enough to stand up in damp spikes it was time to leave.

“Sure you won’t be bored all alone?” Jack asked as he picked up the keys for their car.

“Na, I’ll go look around the actual town,” Gabriel replied, already starting to gather the things he needed for a quick shower himself.

He watched as Jack briefly walked back out though the glass doors and returned with Gabriel’s flannel shirt on once again. The sight would never cease to do things to Gabriel’s heart, and judging by Jack’s smug look he knew all too well.

“Right, then I’m off to the city… Don’t do anything stupid without backup.”

Jack gave Gabriel a proper salute on his way out the door, leaving Gabriel to laugh and shake his head as it was finally his turn to take a shower.

Gabriel didn’t linger once he stepped under the pleasantly warm stream, but he didn’t hurry either, enjoying his chance of getting to do things without really needing to keep the time in mind. Just having the luxury of using nice shampoo and shower gel without having to worry about using his limited supplies up too soon was divine all by itself.

He didn’t feel like doing anything with his hair, so Gabriel brushed it back with his fingers to let it dry on its own and got dressed as soon as he toweled off. Grabbing a light hoody and his keys he walked out the door, taking a deep breath and starting his way to the town.

The path towards the promenade and past the other seaside properties was a relaxing one, with wind dragging at Gabriel’s clothes and gulls screaming at each other somewhere in the distance. He couldn’t hear the waves from where he was walking, but the ocean was always to his left, glittering in the sun. 

For how early in the day it was there was a surprising amount of people about. The little tables in front of the numerous restaurants were filled with people chatting and enjoying the sun, different sources of music played various tunes and children ran around screaming and throwing fries towards gulls, who were also screaming in turn. 

Gabriel walked past it all quietly, looking around and his eyes following groups of people that were moving around him. He couldn’t remember if this was just what it normally was like in places like this, the seaside drawing larger crowds. Was it a weekend or a holiday? He actually hadn’t paid attention to days beyond what date it was in quite a while. 

He hadn’t been in such crowds of people for at least six years now either. Civilians had always been huddled together or running, too shocked and exhausted to do more than meekly ask for information or reassurance about the current situation. When there _were_ crowds, it was always military people on a base, walking with purpose, reliable in situations when things got tense, not a liability he had to consider in case Omnics attacked and alarms went off about an air strike or-

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut as he narrowly avoided running into two women who randomly stopped in front of him to look at a shop display. His heart was racing and he couldn’t push the feeling away, couldn’t convince himself that he was just at a promenade and there was no need to worry. None of these people were his responsibility at all. 

Somebody screamed in the distance and Gabriel had to keep himself from startling and running in the direction. It was just a child getting hit by cold water from another’s bucket. Nothing that warranted his help. 

The emptiness at his hips where his shotguns and ammunition belt would normally be attached made Gabriel twitchy. His hands ached to hold on to something, but there was no need. For the first time in five years there was neither a weapon and armour in reach, nor was there a cause for any of it to be there. 

Gabriel’s eyes fell on a small shop with a powder blue and white facade, with a window displaying a row of sewing machines as well as craft projects and skeins of yarn. It seemed empty enough from the outside, and it was the sort of place Gabriel had wanted to look out for anyway. With one last glance around him to truly make sure that there was nothing to worry about, Gabriel stepped to the wooden door and pushed his way inside. 

The store was a pretty thing, all sounds immediately muffled by the sheer amount of textiles and boxes full of ribbons, needles, buttons, and anything Gabriel would have secretly gotten excited about when he was a teenager. His heartbeat calmed the second the door closed behind him with the faint ring of the bell. His attention immediately snapped to the other people in the store; an older lady with purple dyed dreadlocks and neon earrings stocking up a shelf of buttons, a young boy sitting in front of the yarn section with several skeins in his lap and a focused frown as he compared two near identical shades of green, and another old grandma at the counter, some sort of knitting project in her hands as there was no customer nearby.

The woman behind the counter looked up as Gabriel entered, giving him an encouraging smile and returning to her project, content to let the newcomer figure out if he needed help himself.

With a quiet exhale Gabriel moved away from the door, making himself seek out the section of textiles. The shelf with rolls full of various types of knit fabric was the first thing he saw, with a sign saying that a bigger selection waited upstairs. That could come later though.

Gabriel walked past the familiar faux leather and velvets, eyes fixed on the small cards of information detailing the exact type of fabric on the rolls. The shelves were squeezed close together, using up as much of the limited space as possible, with Gabriel struggling to walk between them without angling his body. The shelves were only chest height, with the shopkeeper easily being able to keep an eye on everything, even if it wouldn’t be possible to steal anything from that section anyway. Perhaps Reinhardt could shove an entire roll of fabric in his jacket and go unnoticed, but he wasn’t there to check if that was actually possible.

Before Gabriel could decide to walk up the narrow staircase that led to the bigger fabric selection he spotted a pretty flower shaped sign over the most colourful section of rolls.

“ _Child’s Favourite_ ” the sign said, hanging right above the shelf backed furthest against the wall. There were rows of books, happy smiling toddlers looking up from the covers, little children in pretty and colourful clothes, books displaying self made pillows and bags to carry diapers and blankets for babies to crawl around on.

The fabric rolls next to them were a feast of colours. A rainbow of pastels greeted Gabriel, prints in soft pinks, blues and whites, cute ones with sheep and friendly looking bees and puppies, bold ones with underwater themes and rockets with smiling waving aliens looking up from the fabric. There was cotton and jersey and everything looked soft without even needing to reach out to confirm.

Gabriel stared at the fabrics for a moment, before his eyes moved on to the pattern books. He had barely ever worked with those, always looking up tutorials or ordering a pattern for something specific online, so now he was at a loss. He snuck a glance at the grandma at the counter, who was currently counting her stitches, before hesitantly reaching for a book that looked like the kind with tons of pictures and cute examples. A woman was shown on the cover, smiling at a child that was sitting in a pile of presumably handmade stuffed toys. Good enough for now.

Next he stared at the fabrics. He wasn’t sure what to make yet, given that he didn’t know what sort of things a newborn even needed. He would have time to figure that out later though, and after a while Gabriel decided that making a pretty blanket might be the best. Relatively easy as he got used to his sewing machine again, and something that didn’t depend on size or age of a baby. That also meant that he could pick any fabric and pattern he liked, not having to worry about colours clashing or clothes looking bad on the child.

He had never picked a fabric like this, one with actual pictures printed on them, and Gabriel didn’t know how to judge. The selection of fabric was both overwhelming and soothing at once, something to focus on that had nothing to do with Omnics or emergency situation. Finally one caught his eye, seeming perfect and something Jack would surely like as well.

The fabric was light blue, with pastel green, soft browns, and vivid purples, depicting trees and flowers and something Gabriel was sure was supposed to be a river. There were adorable little foxes and stags, hedgehogs with mushrooms on their pricks, bears, and all sorts of critters. Despite the variety on the print it didn’t look cluttered, and the longer Gabriel looked at it the more he felt like a baby would like the pictures as well.

Satisfied with his decision Gabriel reached out for the fabric. The moment his hand was about to touch the material his eyes fell on his fingers.

Pale marks stood out against his knuckles, souvenirs from countless punches he’d thrown, scars from cutting his skin when he’d crushed Omnics with his bare hands, his gun calloused hands that knew how to take apart and assemble rifles in moments.

Cold sweat broke out on Gabriel’s forehead again as his hands started trembling and blurring, the colourful fabrics mixing into one.

He had done nothing but kill and hurt and destroy with these hands, with his entire body for the past years. For his entire adult life. He had been _made_ to do that.

Sure, he had done it to protect, but he had still destroyed and broken where others had failed.

And now he was supposed to make a soft blanket for a child? _His_ child?

All of a sudden Gabriel was gripped by a horrid dread as he thought of a tiny fragile child in his rough hands. He would have to hold it, of course he would have to, he _wanted_ to. But how in hell’s name was he supposed to hold something so tiny and delicate?

Gabriel was about to drop his hand and run out of the shop before he swallowed down the fear and roughly grabbed the roll of cloth out of the shelf. It was the softest material he’d worked with in ages, and he quickly selected two more fabrics with patterns of leaves and acorns to match the first one, as well as a thick material to stuff the blanket with.

Before he could reconsider the purchase he carried them over to the counter, placing them there along with the book.

“One and a half yards of each,” he rasped out, somehow not deterring the grandma at the counter with his rough voice, who quickly put away her knitting to pick up a measuring tape and scissors.

“Someone in the family expecting a child?” she asked cheerfully as she glanced at Gabriel’s book, and set to cut off as much of the fabric as Gabriel had asked for.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Oh congratulations! First time father, right?”

Gabriel nodded numbly as the woman gave him a knowing look and a kind smile, and folded the fabric neatly before putting everything into a blue and white bag along with the book. He paid, took his things and somehow managed to thank the grandma for her congratulations before managing to stumble out of the store.

The way back home was like a blur. Gabriel made sure to block out any humans he saw, ignoring everything and walking as quick as he could without actually breaking into a run. He still felt wrong out in public, wishing he at least had the familiar weight of the communicator in his ear. Nobody would reply, of course, but at least it was a guarantee that he could be heard if he needed to. 

It felt like any moment something would happen and he needed to know what it was, needed to have contact to his team so he could direct them and make sure they would make it out ok. On some level Gabriel understood that nobody was counting on him right now, that he wasn’t responsible for any of the strangers, that his Strike Team was all across the globe. It didn’t make it any easier to be out in a public space.

When Gabriel finally reached the house he slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it heavily, running a hand over his face shakily.

With a sigh he reached into his pocket to pull out his holopad, opening up the off duty group channel of his squad. A quick scroll revealed that Jack hadn’t been online since earlier that morning. Liao had been sending random pictures of mundane objects like street lamps and empty cups, Torbjörn and Reinhardt had a ton of updates on some argument they’d started god knew when, and Ana politely commented on every single joke while Gerard seemed to have a monologue consisting of texts sent throughout the day.

Just seeing that they were fine was a weight off Gabriel’s shoulders.

With a smile he shut off the device and shook his head.

Of course things weren’t going south. He had done his part in the war; he didn’t need to worry anymore, his team was off enjoying their hard earned rest.

Brushing those thoughts aside Gabriel went to the small pile of boxes they hadn’t unpacked yet, picking the one that contained his sewing machine’s bag to carry it to the large table in the living room area. The machine looked exactly the way he’d left it, a little dusty with a few scratches on one side and with several stickers decorating it’s surface. Gabriel had gotten it brand new on his thirteenth birthday, and it had served him well over the years, carrying fond memories of all his projects. It was fitting that he would be making things for his child on it as well.

Gabriel took out his scissors and the measuring tape from the pockets of the sewing machine’s bag and set to work. There was enough space on the floor to spread out his fabric and quickly cut out the squares he needed for a pretty patchwork style blanket, the familiar sound of ripping fabric quickly putting him into the right mind-set to focus on nothing but his work.

It was only when he had cleared away all scraps and sat down to pin the fabric together for sewing that Gabriel hesitated again. The cloth was incredibly soft in his hands, much nicer than anything he’d had for longer than he could remember, especially with the colours and the friendly smiling animals looking up at him from the fabric. This wasn’t a material a soldier ought to have any use for.

And yet it was perfect for a child.

Before Gabriel’s thoughts could go down that rabbit hole again, the sound of the door unlocking tore him from his brooding.

“Honey I’m home,” Jack’s cheerful voice rang from the hallway, and moments later Jack appeared, dragging a bulky shopping bag and dropping the car keys on the kitchen counter.

“Had fun?” Gabriel asked as he carefully placed his work out of the way when Jack stopped in front of the table.

“Oh yeah, your sisters are great. We went out to have lunch and I dropped them off at your folk’s place with a promise to invite them to dinner if we’re not too busy.”

He placed a giant plastic cup and a wrapped up straw in front of Gabriel, pink boba bubbles bouncing inside an amber liquid.

“And here, bubble tea? Never had that stuff before. It’s funny,” Jack explained as Gabriel took the cup to examine it. “I didn’t know what flavour you like so I got you honeydew? Whatever, we can have more cause I won’t stop till I’ve tried them all.”

Gabriel put it aside for later and looked on as Jack started to unpack things. First came small bundles of socks and underwear as well as something that looked like swim trunks. Then Jack started to unload clothes into a giant pile, before adding soaps and shampoos and things Gabriel knew for sure they already had.

“What’s all this?” Gabriel asked with a raised brow.

“We get to dress in civilian clothes all day now,” Jack explained. “And I figured we need at least some basics now that we _can_ wear something that’s not regulated.”

He pointed at a bunch of shirts and a pair of jeans.

“And that was from the male section of a pregnancy needs store. I don’t need it yet, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever need that size, but I’d rather have something just in case so I won’t have to hurry and get something in a rush.”

Gabriel nodded, already thinking to the closet in the bedroom to decide which section could be reserved for clothes Jack owned but didn’t use yet. He watched as books came next, all small with titles that promised an easy way to learn of what to expect with babies and pregnancies in general. Pretty obvious why Jack got those.

“I found a fabric store,” Gabriel said after a while, somehow worried about his choices and hoping for Jack’s approval. While he wouldn’t let anyone keep him from making as much cute stuff for his child as possible, Gabriel still wasn’t sure about his ability to choose something a child would actually like.

Jack threw a look at the fabric, and then paused to examine it closer. The smile twitching on his face eased off Gabriel’s worry about his choice nearly right away.

“That’s adorable! Is it for clothes?”

“No, for a blanket. I don’t know what sort of sizes to expect yet.”

“Good though, it’s something everyone needs,” Jack mused as Gabriel leaned under the table to pull his sewing machine’s power cord out of the outlet.

As he was about to sit up straight again he heard Jack place a heavy box on the table with a nice smack, and when Gabriel looked at what it was his mouth went dry.

“Jack- is that a goddamn dildo?”

Jack looked at Gabriel, and then at the box with a translucent side revealing what was very certainly that.

“Yes.”

They looked at each other for a moment; Jack infuriatingly nonchalant and Gabriel feeling his entire face heat up.

“Why?”

At that Jack finally cracked a smile. He tapped the box with his finger and leaned into Gabriel’s space, their faces inches apart as Gabriel refused to back away.

“See, this thing has straps. Meaning I can _wear_ it and if you want, it means I’ll get to actually – _properly_ – fuck you.”

Gabriel let out a choked whimper at the thought, thinking back to the times Jack had taken full charge in bed, taking care of him the best he could and bossing him around while Gabriel wished they had access to something more than just hands and mouths. He _had_ wanted, but had preferred to not think too hard about things he couldn’t have anyway. During the war they’d both been too busy enjoying what they had to really waste much time talking about more, and their talks about hopes and dreams for the future hadn’t involved sex at all.

“And why this one specifically?” Gabriel asked, glancing back to the bright neon purple thing. It looked pretty impressive, bigger than the toys he’d kept in a shoebox as a teenager and had thrown out the second he suspected Rita had found them, just so she wouldn’t get to blackmail or worse, tease him.

Jack shrugged, leaning back and away from Gabriel.

“I don’t know, I was mostly thinking about what looks best, and in the end I picked one that looks like what I think my dick would have looked like. If you ignore the colour that is.”

Gabriel did a double take then, truly looking at the thing. If he’d seen that while sneakily ogling Jack in the communal showers, he certainly would have second-guessed his decision to try and flirt with the pretty farm boy. Just out of sheer nervousness.

“You’re full of yourself,” he muttered, earning another laugh.

“Na, I’ll just hope _you_ will be full of me.”

“Why did I marry you?” Gabriel sighed, but got up with a fond smile and grabbed Jack’s freshly bought clothes to carry them to the washing machine he’d seen in the room in front of the garage.

Jack blew him a kiss before sitting down and getting out his holopad.

“Would you mind giving me some space right now? I can go to the bedroom if that’s easier, but I want to actually call my parents to tell them the news in person.”

“Of course, sunshine,” Gabriel said. “I’ll go do the laundry and then sit outside with one of those new books.”

Jack nodded with a grateful smile. Then he snorted as he looked at his pad.

“You know, it’s really funny that I barely ever got to talk to them so they know little about my friends and colleagues at Overwatch. I’m not good at texting them so this will be fun.”

“Why is it funny?” Gabriel asked, pausing at the door.

“Because I only mentioned you half a dozen times maybe? I told them I made a good friend right before SEP started properly, just so they wouldn’t worry and knew I had someone to watch my back. After that- I don’t know, maybe just here and there a comment about how we’re still in the same squad.”

He laughed again, leaving Gabriel with a frown.

“So?”

“So? Gabriel, they know you as a friend I made five years ago and am still sort of working with. And now I’m gonna call them to tell them we’re married and I’m knocked up. Mum’s gonna love this and dad will probably need to take a moment,” Jack laughed again, rubbing his cheek as he sighed and smiled at his pad. “So many awkward father “son who can be knocked up” safe sex talks, wasted.”

Gabriel felt a cold dread all of a sudden. He managed a forced laugh to join in with Jack, but the thought of Jack’s strict old Midwestern dad only knowing him as that one guy his son was hanging out with before something that surely would seem like a shotgun wedding wasn’t exactly thrilling. Now he hoped that their child would be cute enough to use as a shield against its possibly very pissed off grandpa.

As Jack started to dial up his parents Gabriel slipped out of the room as quick as he could, quietly praying that he wouldn’t have to face anyone’s wrath for the situation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, there's some smut at the start and some fluff and also Gabe stressing out

Life quickly started to feel normal in the little house by the ocean. 

The first few days were spent on stocking up on anything they’d need, scoping out grocery stores and finding clothes for the summer. After having lived on military bases their entire adult lives both Jack and Gabriel were nearly overwhelmed with the options they now had. Perhaps it was a good thing that there was no need to decorate the house anymore, or else Jack would have made some bad choices in an attempt to recreate a nice lived in feeling.

When all of this was finally taken care of, they had decided that the next day would be one spent entirely on the beach, with not a single chore or responsible thing done at all. Swimwear, snacks, and sunblock were set out, all ready for the next day.

The next morning, however, that greeted Jack with a strong summer rain prattling against the window that stretched across the entire bedroom wall facing the sea. The sky was grey, and through the whisper thin curtains it was still clear that the rain was too strong for a nice day at the beach.

A rarity, Gabriel had told him, but it would leave the world fresh and clean and new, letting the dried earth suck up water and make the summer just that little bit less prone to fire and heat.

Now, instead of lying at the beach in the California sun or swimming in the ocean Jack was wrapped in warmth and a bubble that separated him from the world. The rain obscured anything that lay beyond their little house; the steady beat against the glass planes and the roof above drowned out any noise the warmth of more blankets than he’d ever owned at once and the pillows his body was sinking into like a cocoon of softness, Gabriel’s arms around him, hips rolling steadily into Jack’s body, kisses trailing along his neck and chest… It was hard to even remember that anything lay beyond these sensations.

Jack didn’t know how many hours they’d been at it by that point, feeling as if his entire body had turned to liquid pleasure, nearly over sensitive very Gabriel was pressed against him, where his legs were loosely tangled with Gabriel’s. His entire universe in that moment was focused on nothing but Gabriel. 

He was past the point of encouragement or moans, simply letting Gabriel make love to him as his arms were wrapped around Gabriel’s shoulders and rough gasps escaped his lips. Gabriel would still whisper quiet incoherent declarations of love in Jack’s ear, but he didn’t need to hear it with how loved each touch made him feel.

Even his climax was a warm and gentle wave, having Jack throw back his head and Gabriel tighten his hold on him as they rode it out, quietly, nearly without any change in their motions.

“Jackie, are you alright?” Gabriel asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

It took Jack a moment to realize that the trace of worry in Gabe’s voice was due to concern for his own enjoyment, as Jack was never one to just lie back and let himself be used. He smiled, hooking his legs around Gabriel’s waist.

“Yeah, I’m just not feeling like doing anything more than this.”

He squeezed his arms in emphasis and pulled Gabriel closer for a proper kiss. Jack could taste himself on his husband’s lips, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in far too long, and it only added to the feeling that this was special somehow, that this marked a new section of their lives together.

“Sure?” Gabriel asked, leaning down to rest his weight on his elbows and pressing their bodies just that little bit closer and Jack just that little bit further into the pillows.

Jack hummed, moving his hips just a little, not chasing pleasure anymore but wanting to feel Gabe as much as he could.

“I’m enjoying the moment,” Jack told him.

He spread his hands flat against Gabriel’s back, moving his fingers slightly over sweat slick skin and scars. Jack turned his head to look outside, eyes fixed on the endless borderless grey he could see from that angle. He could practically _feel_ the rhythmless beat of the rain, along with Gabriel’s heartbeat against his chest. After a slight shift Gabriel leaned closer to kiss the soft skin behind Jack’s ear, beard scratching pleasantly against his neck as he did so.

“It’s probably silly,” Jack started. “But this feels different somehow. Like it’s a new start.”

They had slept together after the Strike Team had officially done their job, after marrying, and even in the small house by the ocean. This still felt completely new, like something they’d never done before.

Gabriel moved away just enough to look at Jack for a few moments. His hands ran through Jack’s hair, petting it, smoothing it back a little. Then he smiled and it made the skin around his eyes crinkle endearingly.

“No, that’s not silly. I think I know what you mean. It’s the first time we really get to do what we want, right? Just settle in and only think about us and our family. Of course it would feel new.”

Jack smiled and let one of his hands drag down Gabriel’s side until it was resting against the swell of his own stomach. It still felt strange to touch himself there, to confirm that there was a change he could no longer hide. That there was something to look forward to so soon after a war.

“You’re right…” he said. “I can’t wait to be as selfish as I want.”

He hooked his leg over Gabriel’s waist, pressing his foot against Gabriel’s ass.

“And you can guess what selfish thing I want right now, yes?”

Gabriel snorted and moved his hips with the motions of Jack’s foot, until he caused the blond to moan quietly.

“Like this?”

Jack laughed and cupped Gabriel’s head with his hands to pull him down for a kiss. If that strange feeling was the sensation of getting to do whatever he wanted with his life, he wouldn’t mind getting used to it.

Jack was half asleep, dozing lazily as sunlight hit the bed nicely, the air conditioning taking care of the summer heat enough that he felt pleasantly warm rather than overheated. It was a state of being that he had nearly forgotten about in the previous years. He couldn’t remember ever getting to really lie around like this during the day, when he was already rested and wasn’t recovering from some sort of injury. Certainly not in a room with perfect temperature and windows so massive, and absolutely not while Gabriel was doing the same thing at the same time.

You couldn’t have both leaders of a team just take a break like that, with the Commander pressed up behind his second in command, snoring softly against his neck and arms wrapped around his body like he was some sort of oversized teddy bear, with Jack’s hand covering his so that their rings were clicking together softly. If there had been moments of idleness, then Jack didn’t remember them to be particularly pleasant, with the worry about the next battle looming over their heads constantly, and with Gabriel never allowing himself to stop calculating the odds of pushing his team through the apocalypse without any casualties.

Jack pressed the side of his face deeper into the pillows that were wrapped in the first blanket Gabriel had made for their child. It was unbelievably soft, and though it was probably silly, Jack still felt like he wanted to touch the thing that was going to be his child’s blanket as much as possible. He didn’t know if babies even had a sense of smell strong enough to pick up whatever scents could cling to the fabric, but he allowed himself to be sentimental about it anyway.

Blinking against the brilliant sunlight Jack wondered about what to do with his day. He didn’t really feel like going out for a swim right now, not liking how the sun managed to overheat him if he was outside the water even for a little bit. He knew that Gabriel’s sisters were probably busy right now, and wandering around LA or the promenade nearby wouldn’t be as nice in the heat either. He wondered whether he ought to check up on the Strike Team, or message Adawe to ask her how the peace talks were going and what Overwatch could do to help this time. Gabriel often commented on how they deserved a break, and how the team’s particular skills didn’t include diplomacy, so Jack took over any social obligations they had to their boss in the UN.

He glanced at his holo pad, lying on the nightstand just a few inches out of reach. Jack never had felt so much like a fat lazy cat as now, when he decided that scooting over and to grab it wasn’t worth the effort. Though he would have to eventually.

The two soldiers had lived in the hose by the beach for two months now, comfortably settled in and enjoying their leave. Jack had found a doctor as well, after much consideration and weighing his options about what poor sod to entrust the care of a pregnant super soldier with unpredictable and unique traits that were classified by the US government to. In the end they’d managed to find someone who had once worked in the army, and who would be able to provide Jack with anything he’d need. It was probably a good idea to schedule another appointment with Dr Gisen, just to make sure that things were going smoothly.

She hadn’t been happy when confronted with the top secret part of her patients’ medical history, but other than more careful monitoring and way more vitamins than usual she had assured Jack that everything should go over fine. 

With a slow blink Jack regarded the holo pad again. He really should do the responsible thing and schedule an appointment now. He never was one to neglect his duties in any way. Did he sometimes work on things slower than necessary? Yes, but only when he knew he’d end up bored out of his mind for the rest of the day if he was done too quickly.

But right now he was warm and he was drifting back to sleep, and Gabriel’s rough and calloused hands were pressed against his stomach. Right now he had _earned_ to be lazy.

With a satisfied hum Jack closed his eyes, shifting a little bit to get a little bit more comfortable on the ridiculously nice mattress. Honestly he deserved every second of idle nothingness he could possibly find-

The sharp yelp from behind him and the sudden bounce of the bed when Gabriel shot up to sit startled Jack enough that he nearly fell off the bed, hands already reaching for where his rifle would have been if this was his cot in some temporary camp.

“WHAT?” he hissed, when his brain caught up to his instincts, helpfully reminding him that there had been absolutely no reason for Gabriel to move like that.

Gabriel was staring at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open in an absolutely ridiculous expression. His hair was mussed from sleep and the pillows had left lines imprinted on his cheek. While usually he managed to look somehow still put together no matter how off guard he was, Jack found that he couldn’t suppress a snort as his current appearance.

“What’s gotten into you?”

Gabriel pointed at Jack, half accusingly.

“I just felt the baby kick! Why didn’t you tell me it was already happening?”

“What?”

Jack blinked at him, confused. He hadn’t felt much besides Gabriel’s sudden movement, the way his hands had brushed over his stomach, a brief clench in his gut… was that it?

With a frown Jack rubbed over his stomach, trying to decide whether one could possibly miss something like this. Gabriel’s hands joined his immediately, spreading warm and rough over as much skin as he could. His eyes were shining and he was staring at Jack’s stomach with a focus that nearly made Jack squirm away, suddenly embarrassed about the attention. He could feel his heart hammer in his ears though.

For a few seconds nobody moved. Jack glanced from their hands to Gabriel’s face, not losing his intensity at all. It started to feel stupid quicker than he expected. Just two half dressed super soldiers, touching a swollen belly and waiting for something that probably wouldn’t happen.

Jack was about to suggest they stop doing that, feeling more and more awkward by the second, before he noticed something tugging in him. This time he was sure that he hadn’t imagined the motion, and though Jack wasn’t _sure_ , Gabriel’s gasp made clear that he was the only one who was doubtful about his own perception there.

“That was it! I could feel a foot!” Gabriel gasped out, stupidly excited and eyes shining.

Jack hummed thoughtfully, averting his gaze and rubbing at his stomach thoughtfully. It did feel like it could be it, but it was so strange, a completely foreign sensation to stack on to the weird things is body had gone through in just the past six years alone.

“Come on, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Gabe went on when he noticed the doubtful expression his husband was sporting.

“It’s not really obvious as much as perhaps a hint at you being shit at cooking summer glass noodle salad or whatever last day’s mess was supposed to be.”

Gabriel’s smile twisted into a pout.

“I _told_ you, it’s cause the recipe was crap. And come on, Jackie. It’s definitely a baby kick. How can you mix that up with indigestion?”

Jack stared at a particularly interesting stain on the window, looking like a few kernels of damp sand sticking to the glass. He shrugged awkwardly.

“Cause it just feels _weird_ , Gabe. It’s not like I felt anything like this before and I don’t know what to make of it.”

This time Gabriel’s expression definitely shifted into concern. His gun calloused hands moved to lie over Jack’s instead, a reassuring touch with his thumbs moving over Jack’s skin.

“It’s not… bad, is it?”

Jack laughed quietly, finally able to meet Gabriel’s eyes.

“No, it’s not that at all. I just feel weird about getting exciting over this? Seems stupid to celebrate something that might not even be what we think it is cause we’re a couple of inexperienced idiots who were too nervous and tactful to ask Ana about details and didn’t know anyone else who was having a baby in years.”

Gabriel’s lips quirked as he gently ran a hand over the side of Jack’s neck, fingers brushing against soft hair.

“Yeah, well I doubt we’re the only ones being stupid about stuff like that. So who cares if we assume wrong about a kick? Nobody else needs to know we were stupid. Damn, even Ana and Sam were probably being stupid about this, they just couldn’t let their dumb regal facades slip.”

Jack had to stifle a snort at that thought. The image of Ana and Sam desperately trying to figure out whether Fareeha was starting to kick or not seemed absolutely ridiculous.

“Don’t say that, Gabe. They’re both halfway across the globe but I feel like they’ll hunt us down if we suggest either wasn’t absolutely perfectly wise and collected.”

Gabriel’s laugh shook the bed. He dropped his hands and shook his head with a wheeze.

“Damn, now I’m imagining them being secret disasters about this.”

He grinned up at Jack, hands finding their way back to the slight swell of his stomach.

“But listen, Jackie. Even if this _was_ a bad recipe making itself known and not an itsy bitsy baby foot… It’ll still happen very soon. We’re still getting to feel our actual child hitting at us.”

“At me,” Jack corrected, but he couldn’t help but smile. He had no way of telling if this was actually happening now, but a strange sort of giddiness spread in his chest. Any attempt to be dignified about this washed down the drain.

“We’re actually getting to communicate with the little bug, aren’t we?”

Now that Jack wasn’t hiding his own giddy feelings about the situation, Gabriel’s excitement started to grow as well. He was very nearly bouncing when he wrapped his arms around Jack’s middle to press his ear to his stomach, as if he was trying to listen for actual word.

“Yeah, looks just like it! Come on, pumpkin, wanna let your old man know how excited you are too?”

Jack thought he would break a rib trying not to laugh and not to move from the slightly awkward position, not wanting to dislodge Gabriel. They sat like that for a few moments, Gabriel ignoring what must be a painful arch of his back to keep his position, and Jack not knowing what to do with his hands.

Something shifted again, evidently just at the right spot to nudge Gabriel’s cheek.

He immediately shot up, grinning and gesturing at Jack’s middle.

“It kicked me!”

“Someone had to,” Jack managed to wheeze out, no longer able to keep his laughter at bay.

Gabriel tackled him in retaliation, pushing him against the pillows and wrapping his arms and legs around him, fingers pressing into every spot he knew Jack was ticklish in.

“Damn, stop!” Jack got out between peals of laughter. “I’m not the one who kicked you.”

A brief tussle later and they relaxed against the pillows, positions nearly unchanged but Jack’s hair a mess from Gabriel’s hands. They caught their breath together, until finally Jack found his words again.

“It’s really happening, isn’t it?” he asked. “There’s no way to not think about it anymore. We’re gonna be dads soon.”

Gabriel’s hand found its way into Jack’s hair yet again, pulling him closer to rest their foreheads together.

“Yeah,” he said, eyes shining with what Jack hoped was happy tears. “Soon.”

 

*

 

It was mid August and even Jack’s enthusiasm for the ocean was starting to be not enough to set a foot outside when it wasn’t necessary. They had the luxury of perfect air conditioning and a car that had never been through an explosion that knocked out most functionality. The most Jack was willing to do in this heat was maybe take a stroll outside in the evenings, or travel to the nearest cool area. The only thing he did outside was a brief jog along the shore before the sun had time to rise properly and mess up the otherwise pleasant summer temperatures.

Slowly it was getting strange to move and exercise. There was a list of things an athletic expecting parent might be allowed to do, though Dr Gisen had voiced doubt about what limits a super soldier might have. Jack was starting to feel a definite shift in his balance, but despite being little over seven months along his stomach was deceptively flat. Sure, there was a clear bump, but from what Jack knew it could have been much bigger.

A small child and a tall and more than average muscular parent, Dr Gisen had explained. Nothing to worry about though, the child was developing just fine, though it would be a tiny little thing at first. After his initial uncertainty Jack had just been relieved about it. At least he could still move around just fine for the most part.

And the bump actually was starting to be a great rest for books and his holo pad when he was lying on his back, head cushioned against a stack of pillows and nothing better to do but read or watch crappy day time TV.

Jack was stretched out on the couch, scrolling through his pad with one hand and balancing a coke float in the other. Gabriel was sitting next to him, back pressed to Jack’s side as he leaned over the table he’d pulled up, working on converting a torn up old sweatshirt into some kind of stuffed toy. Bits of thread and stuffing were sticking to his loose tank top, all the more obvious for being white on black, but Jack had long given up any attempt to clean up Gabe’s shirt.

The rhythmic rat-tat of the sewing machine reminded Jack of the comforting presence of his pulse rifle, but completely devoid of danger and the sometimes too sharp smell of burned metal and pulse munitions. Instead it was accompanied by Gabriel’s occasional humming, the sound of his hands adjusting settings, and the occasional strangly pleasant sound of ripping fabric when he cut off something.

It was the perfect backdrop for work and private things. Work being the communication Jack upheld with their contacts in the UN, as well as the vast collection of “how to take care of babies”, and pleasure being chatting with his team mates as well as reading comics he’d missed out on ever since he joined the military.

His fingers tapped against the edges of the pad, going through the open chats he had on there. The folder with Gabrielle’s work and the peace talks the UN held with the Omnics was up to date for once, the latest message being her thanks for managing Overwatch’s Strike Team business during these fragile peace talks, as well as an invitation for January of the next year. Despite the difficulties everyone was facing in trying to seal away the remaining Omniums and figuring out what to concede to the peaceful Omnic fractions, there was a general confidence about some sort of treaty being ready for signing then.

Below that were several other on-going conversations regarding Overwatch’s future, but Jack was merely included in those to be aware of the latest development. Next came a note from Dr Gisen regarding a hospital that might be the best choice for him, the Reyes Family Chat he had been bullied into joining, as well as his own family where mostly only him and his mother talked. Jack’s father had never quite liked texting on a pad, and he often forgot to reply when his wife wasn’t there to remind him.

With a sigh Jack switched off the communication program and opened up the baby advice books he’d been reading the night before again.

“This is ridiculous,” he commented as his eyes skimmed over what he had read last. “It seems like they recommend something different for how a baby is supposed to sleep every decade. On the side, on the back, under no circumstances on the back. Figure they’ll ever recommend dangling them upside down for perfect sleep?”

Jack glanced up to see what Gabriel would shoot back at him, if his mouth wasn’t occupied by holding pins in it. The sound of the sewing machine had stopped, and Gabriel was staring at the fabric between his hands. There was a strange look in his face, haunted, eyes too wide, jaw set in a specific way that Jack recognized as a nervous clench. He hadn’t seen that expression since the middle of the Omnic Crisis.

“Hey Gabe, what’s wrong?” Jack asked cautiously and braced himself up on his elbows to better face Gabriel. He glanced at the sewing machine and Gabriel’s hands unnaturally stiff on the fabric, trying to figure out if anything might have caused some sort of unpleasant flashback.

In carefully deliberate movements Gabriel set down his work, and with fingers that shook in a way they never did in the most stressful of situations turned off the sewing machine. He looked like he might be sick, so Jack sat up properly and gently rubbed his back between his shoulder blades, hoping to soothe Gabe a little.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Gabriel finally croaked out, his voice as rough as if he had inhaled smoke and gunpowder for hours. His eyes were darting over the things in front of him, not focusing on anything.

“What do you mean,” Jack, stilling to let Gabriel collect his thoughts. They had gone through dozens occasions like that, either of them lost in a panic or drowning in the magnitude of what they were living through. They both could only guess at what had caused each incident, leaving them to agree to try and form words to be helped, to give each other space to do that, if needed.

“This,” Gabriel said again, his voice strained as he gestured around, at the sewing machine and at the books stacked on a corner of a table. They were a mixture of patterns and advice for young parents and “what to expect when you’re expecting” type of guidebooks.

Jack frowned as his hand automatically slipped off Gabriel’s back and landed on his on belly instead. He felt a strange tightness in his throat as he watched Gabriel stare at his own faintly trembling hands.

“Having a child?” he guessed, trying hard not to let the wave of dread rise up in his chest.

Gabriel flexed his hands, balled them into fists hard enough that his knuckles stood out pale against his skin. He placed them on his knees in a deliberately slow motion, not succeeding in hiding the tremor from Jack.

“Look at me,” he said with a hoarse laugh, the sound making Jack want to gather him up in his arms. He only stopped himself because he didn’t know whether this was what Gabriel needed right now.

“I’m sewing cutesy pastel things for a baby that’s going to be the most adorable little sunshine the world has ever seen,” Gabriel went on, squeezing his eyes shut. “As if I can make something for a little child. As if I’m expecting to hold it and just get away with it.”

Jack stared at Gabriel’s clenched hands for a moment, debating whether he could touch Gabriel without startling him. His nails must be digging through his skin at that point.

“You’re not getting away with anything. You’re the dad, if you don’t want to hold the baby you’ll have two combined families ready to beat your ass.”

The attempt to lighten the mood went south, as Gabriel made a strange sound that sounded too much like he was about to lose the last hold on his composure he had.

“How can I want something like that? I spent _years_ doing nothing but shoot and break apart metal and concrete and kill whatever was in my way. I couldn’t hold a child even if I was allowed to want this. That’s just not the kind of person I am.”

The tightness in Jack’s throat evaporated, along with whatever was keeping his heart from breaking.

“Gabe,” he started slowly. “You saved the world, of course you’re kind of person who can hold a child. It’s yours, what makes you think you’re not good enough.”

Gabriel stared at Jack for a few moments.

“Tell me honestly, if you weren’t biased, would you really want a man with my past to hold your child?”

Jack frowned and shook his head. They had both killed, both spend endless hours trapped in a nightmare of a war, killing anyone fighting on the side of the Omnics. Destroying machines and blowing up giant constructions of mass-produced weapons, fighting against what humanity had built in the first place, ripping apart metal with their bare hands. Never once had it occurred to him that this somehow had an influence on how they would be like with a baby. 

“Gabe, I was there with you the entire time. Everything you did, I did as well? Do you think I’m not a good enough man to hold our child either?”

There was a tenseness around Gabriel’s eyes as he looked up at Jack then, one Jack recognized as him being too stubborn to let go of something that worried him, even when offered an easy solution.

“You weren’t the one who made decisions knowing that you were risking lives and judging about what’s more important. You’re also… better at not getting in your head when you fight.”

Jack scoffed.

“You know that’s not true. Come on Gabriel, you _know_ there is nothing that might make you bad with children that I haven’t done as well. You’re probably better already, you are Fareeha’s favourite uncle and she listens to every word you say while I only ever was near calves and other animal babies. You’re the better qualified one here.”

Jack reached out to take Gabriel’s hands in his, pulling at them gently until they were resting in Jack’s lap. Hands, calloused by a lifetime of working with heavy equipment and then a war’s worth of guns brushed against calloused hands. They matched up in their roughness, with the faintest traces of burns on Gabriel’s and faded cuts on Jack’s knuckles.

Gabriel’s hands were rough and strong enough to rip a Bastion unit apart in less than a minute, but they were the gentlest thing Jack had ever felt explore his body, the most soothing thing he could yearn for when he was injured and hurting, the best tool to bring him pleasure and make him forget anything else that was happening with his body besides what Gabriel was doing.

“Remember when you single handedly lifted that piece of broken carrier off of me?” Jack asked, rubbing at the skin between Gabriel’s thumb and forefinger.

He felt Gabriel shift a little as he nodded, not looking any less distraught than before. It wasn’t a happy memory for him, though Jack selfishly cherished the moment that had brought Gabriel so much grief and might have caused a few white hairs.

“I thought for sure I was gonna die just cause that one piece of junk we shot out of the sky got lucky in hitting me. But you lifted it, and you stayed with me to actually operate a biotic field. Wouldn’t stop pressing your hands against my side to stop the bleeding even though I could have held on for the few moments it would have taken to find shelter or make a bandage.”

Gabriel’s nose twitched as he sneered.

“The few moments that could have been enough to let you bleed out on me. What’s your point with this? You trying to remind me of worse things?”

“I just mean,” Jack pushed on “that regardless of what you think of yourself or our actions, you’re still good enough to hold me when I’m nearly dying. Still good enough to heal and fix. Damn it Gabriel, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Our child wouldn’t even have had the chance to be around if it weren’t for you.”

The tension drained from Gabriel’s body as he slumped forward, looking too exhausted.

“You went far beyond what anyone could expect of a single man to fight back the extinction of humanity, Gabe. Everything you did, it’s all just so you can watch our kid grow up and know it’ll be safe.”

Jack pulled Gabriel closer, foreheads nearly touching as he dipped his head to look at Gabriel’s face. He looked a little calmer, hands no longer shaking, but now that the initial terror was gone Jack could see the underlying sadness.

“I think I just-“ Gabriel leaned closer, seeking Jack’s embrace and leaning his weight against his husband’s body. “I saw so many things slip through my fingers. I nearly saw _you_ die. After everything it doesn’t feel like I get to have this. Like something bad will happen because I just don’t get to-“

Jack squeezed Gabriel as tight as he could, thinking back to the terrified moments before he had even told Gabe about any of it, when he dared think of the future just to realize that there was a snowball’s chance in hell to survive the Crisis with the child- Gabriel had been confident before, when he had actions to focus on. Now that he could only wait and let things happen as they came he probably felt the same as Jack had back then. He never had been good at letting fate toss him around when there was nothing to do, only truly losing his composure when there was nothing to be done about a situation.

“Listen. _Because_ of all the things we did you get to have this now,” Jack told Gabriel quietly, feeling him press his face against Jack’s shoulder. “It’s normal to worry, Gabe. Everyone does, and we’ve just survived years of constantly worrying about everything.”

Gabriel’s hands curled into the material of Jack’s shirt, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“I thought I’d stop thinking I could lose everyone I love any moment once we were out of an active war zone. But it just got worse because there’s no outlet, nothing bad I can see and try to plan against. Why won’t I stop feeling like I’m doing something wrong if I don’t have a plan for surviving something that’s not even happening?”

Jack ran his hand over Gabriel’s hair soothingly, playing with the stands that had gotten long enough to curl a little at their ends.

“I don’t think it goes away that easily,” Jack said with a sigh. “Every time I do something mundane I used to do at our base, like brushing my teeth or cutting up food like back there I get moments of thinking I’m there. I startle and wonder why I put my rifle out of reach or why the coms are silent.”

They sat quietly for a while, until Gabriel let out a rough laugh and his body went from slumped over to merely relaxed.

“Look at us, the commander needing to get comforted by his second in command about a baby related freak out…”

“How about a veteran needing to get comforted by his loving husband about a completely normal thing people worry about?” Jack asked and pushed at Gabriel until he could look him in the eye. “You think you’re the first man alive to get nervous about children and people being safe?”

Gabriel’s laugh felt genuine then.

“Oh come on, you know I don’t like to feel like I’m just some average guy.”

Jack grinned and shoved him playfully.

“You’re above average in the things that matter to me.”

He laughed at Gabriel’s theatrically offended gasp, before grasping his hands once more and trying to be serious again.

“And you forget something really important about all of this.”

“Like what?” Gabriel shot back with a smirk.

“Have we ever failed solving any problem we tackled together?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“See? And in this we’re together as well. This kid will have two supersoldier dads. We stopped a robot apocalypse, making sure nothing happens to our kid is a piece of cake compared to that.”

Gabriel searched Jack’s eyes for a moment, mouth open as if to reply, until he snorted and ran his hand over his face.

“Damn Jackie. You really make it impossible to stay in my head and sulk sometimes.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Jack replied, grinning as Gabriel grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer to bump their foreheads together, noses brushing against the other’s.

“But you’re right,” he said, dark eyes shining as he looked at Jack. “It’s silly to wonder when we can do anything if we’re together.”

“Together,” Jack confirmed, hands sinking into Gabriel’s hair again as he held him close. As long as they were together there would never be reason to fear. Together with Gabriel, he could do anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel felt the kind of fear he hadn’t experienced since that time in middle school where he spent a week anticipating the moment Mrs Meller finally figured out who exactly had destroyed the brand new projection board in their classroom.

It was the start of October and Jack was finally starting to prefer sitting still. His stomach was still small, compared to what Gabriel had seen on pictures of Cassi during her own pregnancy, but it had started to restrict his movements a little. Even tall well built super soldiers apparently couldn’t escape this aspect of having children completely. 

Sometimes the entire thing was daunting, especially now that Gabriel couldn’t help but notice the bump each time he looked in Jack’s direction. But things were progressing well, and after accompanying Jack to several check ups he’d ended up feeling better about his own fears and the anxiety coming with not being able to do anything at all but wait. 

What worried Gabriel now, as the call they had received from his family, about a month away from their due date.

“Jack, darling, we have a surprise for you,” Evalía had said with the sweetest grin. “Your family is coming to visit in a few days. We have bought them plane tickets so they get to be with you before the big day.”

Jack had circled through every possible emotion at that, mortification at the Reyes family paying for plane tickets on such a short notice, worry about his parents being too busy to leave their farm, disbelief at the entire situation, but most of all gratitude.

“You really shouldn’t have,” Jack insisted once he finally had settled on happiness.

“Oh really we should,” Gabriel’s mother waved him off immediately. “You are family, and I know it means a lot to have your own parents around for something like this. I wouldn’t want to miss the birth of a grandchild for anything in the world, and I’m sure your family feels the same. No, don’t even try offering to pay me back!”

A quick call back home had confirmed that this was really happening, that Jack shouldn’t have worried about bothering his parents, no, it wasn’t too much of a hassle, and yes, they had indeed found somebody to take over farm work to make sure the Morrisons could be there for their war hero son.

With that the final word has been spoken and Jack had turned off his holo pad with a grin. Not wanting to drag his parents away from their busy lives was why he had initially refused to even try get them to travel over, though Gabriel knew it was something his husband wanted. Now this was out of the way and there was one thing less to worry about with the upcoming due date.

The feeling of joy coming from witnessing Jack be so obviously happy drowned out Gabriel’s own emotions for precisely twenty minutes. Then Jack mentioned how he was glad he finally would be able to meet his in-laws, and all at once Gabriel realized that he would have to face two good old fashioned Midwestern farmers, whose beloved only son he had knocked up and then married without even being introduced as a potential boyfriend first. He had done everything in precisely the wrong order and there was no parent in the world that wouldn’t at the very least be a bit grumpy about such a situation.

It was worse than waiting for a mission against a bunch of murderous Omnics. Gabriel could just wait and try not to let his fear show. 

When the fateful day came the two of them were at Gabriel’s family home, waiting for the Morrisons to arrive. At first Jack had insisted to come along to the airport, but Cassi had talked him out of it.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to be stuck in a car with no foreseeable bathroom breaks when I was pregnant,” she had told Jack, which had shut him up at least.

So far that and his inability to eat large quantities of food at once without getting a stomach ache were the biggest inconveniences he’d faced. Much as his enhanced body could bag the whole lot of unpleasant symptoms, it did nothing to compensate for the space an entire human baby took away from his bladder.

Jack wasn’t exactly relaxed as they waited for his parents to arrive. He kept trying to watch TV but Gabriel could tell that he was tense all over. Not in a bad way either, just failing in containing his excitement about seeing his family for the first time in so long, and for such an occasion as well. He was an only child, and had always been close to his parents in a way different from Gabriel’s existence among of flock of siblings and with grandparents living in the same building.

They were by themselves, as Gabriel’s sisters would only join later that evening, and Mikey had locked herself away in her room to do whatever moody teenage girls did in their free time.

Gabriel tried his hardest to lock away his steadily growing anxiety. Spoiling the moment for Jack was the last thing he wanted to do, and though he’d stand by his actions and his new family the thought of meeting Jack’s parents still made him want to run for the hills. It was ridiculous really, he wasn’t a teenager anymore and he was married for Christ’s sake. He had done nothing wrong!

There was no outlet for his nerves either. As a kid he would have gone to play basketball outside, or maybe hit the gym, but he couldn’t leave Jack on his own for something he couldn’t join in. Just a year ago he would have gone to the shooting range to demolish several drones but there was no such option available for miles and miles, and Gabriel wasn’t about to make the drive to the nearest military base for such a thing either. He’d just feel as strung up as before by the time he returned home anyway.

When the front door finally unlocked accompanied by the voices of two women chatting excitedly Gabriel felt relieved and ready to face his demise at once. At the very least he wouldn’t have to sit around anymore.

Jack was on his feet and moving towards the voices immediately, a big smile spreading on his face as he saw the woman who walked in first. She was in her mid forties, shorter than Mrs Reyes and with her strawberry blonde curls framing her soft face in a fashionably short cut. She had freckles on her hooked nose and a smile that made Gabriel see the family resemblance to Jack. She wore jeans and a red button up blouse, as well as slightly worn red sneakers, and looked more casual than Gabriel had expected.

“Jack!” she near screeched, stepping towards her son to pull him in a hug as he nearly lifted her off her feet with her laugh. She was close to crying already, her laughter mingling with sobs as she let go of Jack just enough to dab at the corners of her eyes to keep the tears away.

“Oh my boy, you’ve gotten so tall! You said you did but _look_ at you,” Gracie Morrison exclaimed as she finally had managed to contain her noises of joy.

This was the first time for her seeing her son since just before he turned twenty, Gabriel realized. No wonder she seemed a little overwhelmed by the situation.

“And this!”

Gracie gasped when Jack pulled her hands up to rest against his rounded stomach, grinning widely.

“Lot to take in, right?” he joked, and then lit up when Gabriel’s parents stepped through the door, accompanied by a man carrying a small backpack in his hand.

Gabriel’s mouth went dry as he saw John Morrison Sr. face to face for the very first time.

The man was tall, ridiculously _tall_ , probably pushing past six foot five, with a frame that might not be as bulky as a soldier’s, but definitely speaking of a life spent working hard and carrying strength. His shoulders were roughly the same width as Jack’s, and he wore a faded brown leather jacket that looked like the one Jack had in some of his older pictures. It was probably only his mother’s genes that had prevented Jack from growing as tall as his father then. Mr Morrison’s hair was steel grey, and he sported a solid moustache and dark brows on his sun tanned face.

His moustache twitched with a smile as he saw Jack let go of his mother long enough to come and embrace him. Jack wrapped his arms around his father’s middle, receiving a one armed hug in return. Mr Morrison said something in a deep rumbling voice that was too quiet for Gabriel to hear over the general chatter, and Jack smiled when he stepped away.

Then pale blue eyes met Gabriel’s and he half wished he were facing down a Bastion unit instead.

Before he could open his mouth or show any sign of fear to make a fool of himself, Gracie pushed herself into Gabriel’s line of vision, effectively distracting him from his deer in the headlights moment.

“Gabriel! I’m so glad to finally meet you!” Gracie reached out to grasp Gabriel’s hands in her calloused palms. “I’m Grace Morrison, but I’m sure Jack has told you enough about us already.”

Now that she wasn’t trying to contain her laughter Gabriel could detect a faint Scottish accent in her speech. She’d moved to the states at seventeen, Jack had once mentioned, and some traces of her original dialect still remained.

“He did, and it’s great to meet you,” Gabriel replied, feeling a little of his worry melt away finally. It was hard to feel distressed when facing Grace Morrison, a woman whose smile was as brilliant as her son’s, who had always been the one to cheer up the Strike Team on exhausting days. Besides, she showed no sign of displeasure at meeting the man who had swooped in out of nowhere to marry her only child. On the contrary, when her finger nudged the band on Gabriel’s hand she let out a soft approving sound. 

“Is this what Jack picked for you? Good taste. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. It’s not every day you get to see your son after he’s become a hero and also see the man who makes him so happy.”

“I could say the same, ma’am. It’s not every day you get to make the acquaintance of the woman who raised an international hero,” Gabriel said once Gracie let go of his hands. 

She blinked, and then let out a loud laugh. 

“Oh, are charmer, aren’t you? John, look at this, Jack finally found himself a real gentleman.”

Jack grinned at that as John let out a soft grunt, and Gabriel couldn’t tell if he was approving or merely acknowledging that his wife had addressed him. At that moment Evalía walked in, motioning for her son to follow. 

“Come on, help me with the suitcases.”

Gabriel quickly walked past Mr Morrison to grab the two suitcases as his mother led him up to the guest room. He saw Gracie take Jack’s face in both her hands before she pulled him into a hug, and John stepping closer as if he was about to embrace both of them, but then the railing blocked the family from view. 

Everything was already prepared for the Morrisons to spend as much time as they needed in the Reyes household. Gabriel put the suitcases next to the made bed of the guest room, and Evalía raised her eyebrows at him. 

“You seem tense.”

Gabriel managed half a grimace in place of a smile as he stared at his mother. 

“How would you feel if you and your husband were expecting a baby and his parents only found out about this very recently?”

Evalía stared at him for a few more moments, and then she snorted. 

“You’re nervous about John, aren’t you?”

“What of it? It’s a normal reaction,” Gabriel huffed as his mother waved him off. 

“It’s normal to worry about things like this. But if it’s making it any better, John was very nice to us when we met and he seems to be quietly excited about being a grandpa. He’s just gruff I think, not angry at you. Why do you think he has to be anyway?”

Gabriel closed his eyes and tried not to think of the funny anecdotes Jack had told him about his youth full of misbehaviour. He could picture a pretty and old fashioned little farm perfectly, could picture a barn and Jack as he was before the SEP treatments had bulked him up and chased away the last traces of youthful softness from his face. Could picture hay stuck in his golden hair and sneaking around. John Morrison Sr. fit this image too perfectly, just exactly the kind of man one wouldn’t want to see with a shotgun at night, finding out about-

“Bibi, you read too many trashy romance novels.”

Gabriel startled out of his thoughts, wondering if his mother had somehow guessed at what he had imagined. He glanced up, frowning. 

“I’m not-“

“Of course you are. You’re not stealing some innocent farmboy away against an angry old man’s wishes. You’ve married and are starting a family with a grown man who has a very good relationship to his parents, who must be doing something right with their lives if they raised such a nice kid too.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue against it, but something about Evalía’s expression made him decide not to after all. With the old paranoia of wondering if his mother really could read his mind stuck in his head Gabriel shrugged, and turned away to walk down the stairs again.

He had some in-laws to survive.

*

 

For the first time since he had met Jack, Gabriel felt as if he was completely abandoned by his beloved husband and second in command. Was this what it felt like when nobody was watching your back?

An entire day, brunch and dinner included, and Gabriel was sure that there would be no help coming from Jack in regards of John Morrison sr. His father in law hadn’t confronted Gabriel so far, but he was sure of the stare he felt crawling on his skin. Something about John’s expression was extremely unreadable, even for Gabriel who made a point of being able to tell people’s intentions. It was that strangely neutral expression combined with the moustache that hid the way his lips twitched for sure.

John seemed content to speak only when necessary, or he was refraining from saying anything with witnesses around… Where Gabriel had thought that Jack’s voice was a deep growl his father’s was a positive rumble of thunder and breaking rocks. If Mr Morrison left Gabriel alive for long enough to witness it, he was certain that this boded well for Jack aging like fine wine too. It was still intimidating to be addressed by a voice that commanded so much respect just by rumbling through his chest. When John addressed Gabriel his stare drilled deep into him, as if he could tell everything he’d ever done to the man’s only son just with one glance.

It was deeply disturbing and Gabriel cursed his paranoia. _Of course_ Mr Morrison didn’t know what exactly he did to Jack in the bedroom, or the bathtub, or the hallway when-

But _what if he did_?

On his part Jack made no move to help Gabriel at all. When John spoke to Gabriel, each time startling him, Jack’s reaction lay anywhere between ignoring it and giving Gabriel an inappropriately amused glance. Each time John turned to Gabriel with that strange passive aggressive tone of “I know you did things with my son” Jack would act like it was no big deal.

Now, in a reprise from the food, with Gabriel’s parents helping the Morrisons decide what sights to go look at, he sat next to his backstabbing husband and tried to build up the courage needed to face Mr Morrison again. Jack looked utterly relaxed, pleased by good food and his parents’ presence, his hands resting on his stomach and sometimes patting it idly. Honestly, that child had a big storm coming if their dad was so eager to betray his own husband so cruelly.

“Gabe, honey, you know he’s just fucking with you, right?”

Gabriel looked up from a particularly interesting bit of carpet to give Jack a deadpan look.

“Excuse me?”

Jack rolled his eyes and let out a sigh as if Gabriel’s absolutely justified nervousness was silly.

“Dad’s more amused by all of this than anything. He’s never gotten to really scare anyone cause he never really met the boys he knew I was fooling around with for sure. And the few relationships I had that lasted also didn’t offer an opportunity to try and scare them. He likes you, if you stopped to really pay attention you’d notice.”

“Jack, this man looks like he’s exactly the type who’s happily brandishing a shotgun at his kid’s love interest,” Gabriel hissed quietly, carefully checking behind his shoulder to see if the parents were back.

“Jesus Christ-“

Jack shifted to actually face Gabriel on the couch.

“You think my dad’s some hillbilly?”

“I didn’t say-“

“The _one_ time he came in with a shotgun it was our own fault.”

Gabriel stared at Jack, mouth open.

“The one time?!”

“Yeah, there was that city kid, Bill, and we snuck into the hayloft at night, but dad thought the open door meant somebody broke in. Well, never seen a scared guy run so fast with his pants around his ankles but once dad scolded me for sneaking out of the house at night we had a laugh about his reaction.”

Gabriel stared at Jack for several seconds until a grin spread over his husband’s face.

“Now you’re the one who’s fucking with me.”

“Maybe.”

“Ok, but I mean it,” Jack said, grin shifting into a more serious expression. “Dad really doesn’t hate you. I mean, yeah he’d like to know who exactly I married and am having a child with, but he doesn’t dislike you at all. I’m pretty sure he’s impressed that I am settling down with somebody who’s accomplished so much already.”

He laughed quietly, shaking his head.

“If anything dad’s wondering what kind of person you are to actually stick around with me for years and then propose.”

Gabriel leaned against the couch’s back, close to Jack so that their shoulders were bumping together.

“Well forgive me for worrying about nothing then. It’s not like it’s not reasonable to fear meeting someone’s parents under the given circumstances.”

He didn’t have to look to know that Jack was rolling his eyes again. At least Jack took pity on him by leaning closer against him and allowed Gabriel to wrap one arm around his shoulders. It was comforting for all of ten seconds before Gabriel once again got the feeling that he was being stared at.

Whatever, he was discovered and it was way too late to let go of Jack to put a platonic distance between them. That they had crossed that line was more than obvious anyway.

 

*

 

The following weeks occupied Jack’s time and took him away from Gabriel more than he wanted in those last days leading up to the big moment. Jack was sleepy a lot now, preferring to lie back whenever he could as to stop having to navigate any room with his shifted balance. When he wasn’t lying around or doing gentle stretching exercises to burn at least a little bit of energy he was sticking to his parents. Not constantly, but enough for any young man who hadn’t seen his parents since his teenage years.

Gabriel gave them their space. While Gracie seemed to actively seek out his company to get to know him (“you’ve married my lad, of course I want to get to know my new son”) both Morrisons seemed to be content to go sightseeing or spend time with Jack on his own. It wasn’t just that he feared the inevitable confrontation with John. When he got to talk to his parents or just be around them Jack looked genuinely happy and opened up more than Gabriel had ever seen him do with people outside the strike team. It drove the point home that their little group really was a family for all of them, if Jack could feel as comfortable and open with them as with his parents.

It was hard to try and not hover around Jack in these times. If anything happened he needed to be around to make sure everything went fine. He _always_ had been there for Jack when he was hurt, when he was sick during SEP experiments or during the Crisis.

It also was hard to not have Jack to distract him from his worries in general.

So far John had done nothing but stare at Gabriel whenever he was near. There was always a strange smirk on his face, as far as one could tell with his facial hair, but Gabriel knew that some people smiled when they imagined how to mess someone up. He was one of those people himself after all. It was a little unnerving honestly. John never said anything weird to Gabriel or anything, always sticking to agreeing with whatever Gracie was saying. But then there always were other people around. Either the Reyes family or the Morrisons always acted as a buffer, and Gabriel was slowly starting to realize that John wouldn’t ever do anything that his wife might disapprove of. At least where she could see it.

The team did nothing to soothe his concerns about Jack’s father when the situation was mentioned in their shared communication channel.

Reinhardt insisted that anyone would be honoured to have the leader of the legendary Overwatch strike team marry their child, which was the only helpful thing. 

Torbjörn said it was absolutely right that a father might want to test the worthiness of their in-law anyway. Ana thought Gabriel was being silly, while Liao begged for Jack to record the “Old angry farmer vs scared enhanced soldier” battle of the century.

None of those were very helpful and Gabriel decided that he’d need to figure out how to pay Liao back for even suggesting this. 

By now Gabriel was certain that John Morrison was either plotting something particularly nasty or enjoyed watching him squirm for the hell of it. Not that Gabriel really let on much of that. At least years of military service had taught him how to put a lid on the worst of his discomfort or paranoia, so that it took somebody who knew him to actually see what he was feeling.

Relief came when the Morrisons decided to spend more time actually exploring California and when Jack finally seemed to have had his fill of sticking to his parents. With his in-laws gone and near daily calls and planning with Dr Gisen Gabriel managed to think of his own future beyond whether or not he should fear for his safety around Mr Morrison.

“I can’t wait for the due date to be confirmed,” Jack complained as he cuddled up to Gabriel.

They lay curled up on their bed, watching the ocean through the open windows. Gabriel’s hand was in Jack’s hair, the other holding a pad with several open pictures displayed. Ana was taking over with preparing a proper nursery at a brand new base created just for the team around Overwatch, now that it became more and more obvious that their organisation would stick around for at least a couple of years longer. It was both comfortable and strange, his body hadn’t gotten used to Jack’s current shape against him, but the feeling of Jack’s head on Gabriel’s chest was familiar.

“Can’t wait to actually touch your toes while standing up again?” he teased his husband. “You know you don’t need to stretch as rigorously every single day.”

“I don’t want to break the habit.”

Gabriel kissed the top of Jack’s head.

“Just a little bit more then. I’m sure they’ll figure out soon when exactly they want to release you from your suffering.”

With how many complicating factors managed to combine in Jack’s case they had been offered a surgery right away, and Jack had agreed without a second of hesitation. Later he’d told Gabriel that the idea of giving birth made his lungs constrict with anxiety and reluctance, so this was an easy out. It did mean that their child would be born a little earlier than it probably wanted, to make sure they could defiantly spare Jack the unnecessary labour pains and not prolong the medical guessing game of what exactly a super soldier’s pregnancy might hold in store.

“You can still decide on a date, you know?”

Gabriel glanced down at Jack, who shrugged.

“If I were to pick I’d say lets do it right now honestly. I’m kind of sick of this.”

“I couldn’t,” Gabriel replied. “Feels wrong to just pick a birthday, don’t you think? Can’t go imposing my personal tastes on our kid right from the start.”

Jack snorted and rested his head more comfortably against Gabriel’s chest.

“That’s adorably considerate of you. Alright, let the good doctor decide then.”

Gabriel nodded, and rubbed his cheek against Jack’s hair to find the best position as well. Something as simple as the exact moment of their child’s birth didn’t matter anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for non graphic descriptions of a caesarean and an operating room in this chapter. It's time to meet baby Morrison-Reyes after all

Dr Gisen called to inform the pair that she had set the surgery date for the 31st of October and Gabriel nearly cried from joy. Jack threw a banana at his head for that reaction but was more amused than annoyed.

The disappointment of not getting to make a Halloween couple outfit once again between all of the baby preparations disappeared, and Gabriel used the leftover pumpkin and bats fabric he had to make a cute little sleeping bag for their child. It rested on top of everything they would need in the hospital, and it was definitely worth the constant eye rolling each time Jack caught a glimpse of it.

There was no time to worry about in-laws and traitorous friends in the group chat anymore. There was only making sure they had everything they needed and counting down the minutes until their family would finally grow by one.

When Halloween finally rolled around Jack had reached a strange state of being detached from what was about to happen. At least it seemed that way to Gabriel. He kept talking about the day as if it was just another check up, as if he wasn’t about to be carted into a surgery room to have a baby.

Gabriel felt jittery himself. This wasn’t going into battle, this wasn’t something he could have a plan for besides packing his bag with everything they might need. All he could do was to insist to carry their bags to the car and make sure Jack had at least three pillows in his seat to make himself comfortable.

Jack was quiet on the ride to the hospital, cuddling one pillow and pushing the other two up against the car’s door to lean on them as comfortably as possible. He had put on Gabriel’s oldest hoodie for the ride, thought it wasn’t really cold enough to warrant it yet. Perhaps he did it to comfort himself, but it weirdly enough just served to keep Gabriel calmer instead. He couldn’t do anything at all to make this easier for Jack and their kid, but at least he could be there for them.

Gabriel was driving steadily, knowing the way to the hospital by heart as it was close to the doctor’s office was nearby. His hands had a death grip on the steering wheel, but other than that he was sure of not letting on how nervous this entire situation was making him.

“We should call the baby Ripley,” Jack commented from the side as they came to a halt at a traffic light.

“Huh?”

Gabriel glanced at him, sitting at his side still as relaxed as before, one hand idly petting his stomach. They had decided not to pick a name yet, wanting to be surprised by what their child was first, and then deciding based on what felt right while looking at the baby.

“You know, cause it’s about to rip out of me?” Jack said, smirking, and made a strange handmotion of away from his stomach with a little screech for emphasis.

It took Gabriel a few seconds to understand the reference, before he reached over to punch Jack in the shoulder, annoyed as his husband started laughing.

“This isn’t funny!”

“Really? You’ve got to relax Gabe. And it really is a little bit like the scene from that one movie-“

“I swear to god, Jack.”

The soft laughter didn’t stop but Gabriel had to return his attention to the road. He didn’t understand how Jack could be so calm when everything was happening to _him_. There was something to be said about just taking things as they came when nothing could be changed, but it went against Gabriel’s nature. He couldn’t let things just… happen.

The hospital’s parking lot came into view; distracting him further from scolding Jack for his inappropriately timed humour. Again Gabriel insisted on taking both their bags and only allowed Jack to carry his small stack of pillows. Gabriel’s heart started pounding too loud, blood rushing in his ears the second they stepped through the doors into the perfectly air-conditioned and quiet lobby of the hospital.

He was distantly aware of Jack chatting with the woman behind the reception desk, of a finger being pointed towards the elevators and congratulations being said. Gabriel experienced a strange kind of detachment from everything, somehow worse than when he was running through the ruins of some European city with the machine guns of Bastion units rattling on and on-

His body was too clean, too relaxed, nothing about the situation was as familiar as a battle field. He blindly followed Jack, talked to what he assumed was their doctors, walked up to a room painted in pretty pastel blues and greens, put down the bags and stuck to Jack’s side, hovering protectively.

The Morrisons were there, but Gabriel had no recollection of them speaking to him at all, or what was being discussed. His own parents would only come to the hospital once the child was there.

Gabriel only really snapped out of his stupor just in time to watch Jack step away with a woman dressed in pale green scrubs, smiling reassuringly.

“-to get your husband ready, is that alright? We will fetch you as soon as we’re ready to actually start.”

She was looking at Gabriel with a far too kind expression, and he realized that he must seem strange to everyone. Jack smiled at him with a little wave of his hand, and turned to walk behind the woman. Gabriel nodded numbly, and somehow managed to move on to one of the well-cushioned chairs in the hospital hallway.

Finally he started to take in his surroundings. The hospital was nice and bright, probably freshly renovated the moment the last Omnium had been shut down on American soil and things slowly started to get back to normal for the continent. The blue and green patterns that seemed to be a running theme in the maternity ward were actually painted tree branches and sky, with a few details such as cute little forest animals here and there. Perhaps it was meant to calm down parents, or be a nice thing for children to see, though why a newborn baby should care for the pictures on the walls was beyond Gabriel.

It did nothing to soothe his own nerves. How did people just do this? Why had been Torbjörn so calm each time Ingrid called him with the news? Was it the practice? But Sam had been a quiet kind of excited when Fareeha was born as well. Was it just that Gabriel had failed to learn some crucial detail that made every other new dad be so confident about babies?

Babies. God, he really was just hours away from being a father. How was he supposed to be a father when he was already losing his cool over just having to sit and wait for the birth? Raising a child was nothing one could plan. Even the war had been easier, at least he knew what to expect there, at least he was cherry picked and genetically engineered to be good at that.

There was a small table with pretty brochures of smiling babies and happy parents near Gabriel. He reached for one that only featured some illustrations of pink flowers and started folding it, over and over, just to have something to do with his hands.

The brochure was one big crinkle by the time somebody else finally approached. Gabriel didn’t have to look up to recognize the steady steps of Mr Morrison sr, the same sure and loud footfall as Jack had still sported when they had met for the first time before he became lighter on his feet.

Gabriel was too preoccupied worrying about his own uselessness in the situation to really care about this anymore. So what if John wanted to threaten him or give him a speech about how he wasn’t good enough for Jack or how he would be watched carefully? They were married and already in the hospital to deliver their baby, nothing John could do would change any of this anyway.

Gabriel glanced up to see the man come to a halt just a few steps away from his chair. He was wearing the same old leather jacket he had been wearing since they first met, though it wasn’t really that cold in the hospital. From that angle Gabriel could definitely tell that he was smirking a little, moustache quirking just so.

“They’ve already taken him away to get ready?” he asked, eyes focusing on Gabriel.

“Yeah. The anaesthetist wants to make some last minute checks cause of our enhanced metabolism,” Gabriel explained, remembering some of what had been going on around him when he was in his stupor.

John hummed at that, glancing over the painted walls and towards where the examination rooms lay.

“Where’s Grace,” Gabriel asked after a few moments of silence. He was sure she’d want to be close to Jack once the big moment came.

“Fetching some drinks and a snack. We’ll wait in the room so she said we should occupy ourselves.”

Gabriel hummed in agreement. So she was at least three floors away from them. Great.

“Mind if I sit?”

John gestured at the chair next to Gabriel’s, and he nodded with a muttered “sure”.

It was strange sitting next to his father in law when they hadn’t even been in a room alone in the weeks they’ve known each other. Was it always like this when meeting the parents of your love? Gabriel had never been in such a situation before, and once again he wished that there was some sort of protocol.

They sat quietly for a while, John with his arms crossed comfortably and Gabriel still abusing the poor brochure in his hands. Then, after a few minutes passed, he heard the creak of leather as John turned to look at him.

“There’s not much detail known about how Overwatch fought exactly,” John said “but my boy told me you’ve got some specially engineered shotguns?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Gabriel answered, surprised but a little relieved that the topic John had chosen was such a familiar territory for him. “They’ve come up with some durable alloy for them and I don’t know if a regular guy could use them with their kickback.”

John hummed along, as Gabriel explained.

“You’re not supposed to talk about details, are you.”

“I’m afraid these things are classified, sir.”

“That’s alright. You’ve defended us from the tin cans, you can keep your government secrets.”

Gabriel let out a huff of laughter as John stared at him, a strange glint in his eye.

“So… you’ve ever actually shot at something that is flesh and bone, boy?”

He froze at that, feeling himself tense up under the ice blue stare of the older man. Was that supposed to be a threat? What was he even supposed to say in such a situation?

“I-“

John held the stare for a few moments longer before he let out a chuckle that Gabriel swore he could feel reverberate through his lungs.

“Maybe you can visit us with Jack and the little one, and I’ll take you hunting with me. Jack’s always been a bit impatient and too loud for that in his youth, but I’d love the honour of teaching a city boy how to do it.”

“Hunting?”

Gabriel was too caught off guard to say anything clever about the situation, but John was most certainly grinning now, his eyes shining with mirth.

“You’re a serious man, Gabriel. Honourable too, even if I don’t know if I should feel insulted that you’re so scared of my reaction to you stealing away my little boy.”

“I’m not-“

“Don’t worry about that, I felt similarly when Gracie called her parents at one in the morning to tell them the news,” John waved him off. “And my Jack is picky about the ones he actually is loyal to, I know he must have had his reasons to want to do this with you. He’s done lots of dumb things as a teenager, but I trust him with picking his friends right.”

Gabriel felt like he ought to defend his husband’s honour in this, but he had dealt with his fair share of Jack doing dumb things, with deciding to tough out a world war without telling him he was pregnant just being the latest on the list. Who was he to contradict the man who probably had gone grey early thanks to this?

“I know Jack made the best choice for himself,” John went on, “but I’d still like to get to know you for myself. So, if you can get over your fear of your father in law, I would like to try. Doesn’t have to be hunting, that’s just the thing I assume you might take to quickly.”

Gabriel smiled, thinking back to the times Jack had been the one to figure out where to get food in the wilds quicker than anyone else. He had never indicated that it bored him before, but he suspected it might not be as interesting if dinner didn’t actually depend on it.

“I’d like to try it when we visit your farm, sir,” he replied, and John clasped his shoulder briefly.

On the other side of the hallway a door opened and a nurse stepped out to look over at the two men.

“Mr Reyes?”

“Yes?” Gabriel rose to his feet before he could even finish speaking. The nurse opened the door further.

“We’re ready now, if you would like to be present follow me.”

Gabriel was vaguely aware of John patting his back briefly and saying something encouraging, before his feet were already carrying him towards the door.

 

*

 

The delivery room was painted in the same pretty shades of blue and green as the halls outside. Jack did his best to try and distract himself with staring at that and the holographic screens booting up as the doctors attached sensors to his hand and started monitoring just how much painkillers they had to pump into him to keep his body from rejecting those entirely. It was weird, stranger than lying in the infirmary with field medics fussing over him. At least there they didn’t put up screens to shield his own body from view, leaving him both numbed and feeling weirdly exposed without being able to see.

He didn’t know what he looked like, however much of his lower body exposed, ugly green cap over his hair… The second Jack tried to take comfort in Gabriel not being there to see how ridiculous he looked, the door opened and one of the nurses led him inside, now also clad in green scrubs and an ugly cap of his own. At least he didn’t look as stupid in that as Jack felt.

“Hey,” Gabriel let out as he was pointed towards the chair by Jack’s side. He took the hand that wasn’t full of medical wires in his, squeezing gently.

He looked and sounded much more nervous than Jack felt, which probably should be a strange thing, given that he was the one being cut open with a bunch of people in the room. Perhaps he was biased because at least he would be able to move around completely unhindered by a baby bump as soon as he was healed up from the procedure.

“Ready to get this over it?” Jack joked, tugging at Gabriel’s hand a bit as he noticed Gabriel staring at the screen that shielded Jack’s body from view. He probably couldn’t actually see anything behind it but there was no need to take his chances in Gabriel seeing anything weird going on.

“Ready to meet our kid?”

“Sure.”

One of the nurses stepped to the anaesthetist to hand her an IV pack. They attached it to one of the machines Jack was hooked up to, and the other doctors were starting to get ready.

“Alright, Jack, this thing here will monitor your pain reactions, so I will be able to adjust how much we’re administering to you. This will ensure that there aren’t any unforeseen effects due to your enhanced biology.”

She said it with a slight downturn of her mouth, and Jack felt a little sorry for her having to deal with some weird supersoldier without any real medical information for what exactly had been done to him. He doubted that he was making her job any easier by not being able to tell her details either.

More medical equipment than Jack had seen since graduating SEP was switched on, and the doctors and nurses put on surgical masks to get to work. They all looked quite calm, obviously used to the routine of the procedures of a caesarean. Apart from the anaesthetist, who was focused on Jack’s vital signs like a hawk, ready to react to any possible situation.

Jack only knew that things had already started when something seemed to tug at his stomach, and Gabriel tensed at his side. He couldn’t actually feel any pain, but something was definitely pulling and tugging at his skin, so Jack squeezed Gabriel’s hand back.

This was it. This was the moment he hadn’t dared hope for all these months ago when he found out. This was the moment he had actually wanted to happen when the war was over and Gabriel had given him a ring…

This was the last moment anything could go wrong.

“There you go, you’re doing fine,” somebody who wasn’t Gabriel said, so Jack ignored it entirely.

“Are you doing alright?” Gabriel asked, voice so quiet it was nearly drowned out by the doctor’s quiet talk and the occasional sounds of their equipment.

Jack glanced up at him, noticing how Gabriel was pale from nerves but was obviously focused on Jack now. Wanting to provide support, wanting to stick to his side. Gabriel had never been good with hospital settings, had probably not liked being in doctor’s offices all that much before joining SEP, and then had developed an even bigger aversion to them because of that and spending time at the bedside of injured commrades in the Omnic Crisis. Jack was used to things like that, had taken it up as part of his training and just another part of his job, but he knew that for Gabriel hospitals meant injury and death and nothing else.

“It feels really weird,” Jack told him, suddenly realizing that everything in Gabriel’s nature probably wanted him to not be there, but that he was ignoring his nerves just for his husband and child. “I’m not in any pain though. Just nervous.”

None of the nurses or doctors felt the need to butt in with more reassurances, for which Jack was grateful. Sure, they had to be there, but emotionally this moment was just between him and Gabriel. If it were possible he’d not have the doctors around at all.

“Hey, tell me something stupid,” Jack piped up after a few moments of silence between them.

“Something stupid?” Gabriel repeated, raising his eyebrow.

“Yeah, just something silly you did with your sisters. Or something from SEP that I didn’t witness. Please, distract me.”

Gabriel thought for a few seconds, before he scooted closer to talk right by Jack’s ear.

“Did I ever tell you about the cafeteria accident?”

It was easier to endure the strange numbness and the inability to see what was going on that way. Focusing on nothing but Gabriel’s voice, and the way Gabriel had to take his own mind off everything as well.

He was only halfway through the story that Jack barely got the gist of, when suddenly the doctor’s calm and collected talk shifted. Something out of Jack’s sight was dragged closer, wheels dragging over the floor, and then he saw two of the figures at his feet lean closer together. He felt Gabriel tense up, felt his grip on his hand tighten hard before he realized what this must mean, and automatically tightening his own.

They nearly broke each other’s hands that day, and Jack was about to open his mouth to try and keep his voice neutral as he asked about what was going on when he heard a shrill little wail.

Gabriel noticeably sagged at his side, letting out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Jack couldn’t make a single sound as he heard the soft discontent cries coming from where he couldn’t see. He wasn’t sure what to say, whether to angrily demand to be told what exactly had happened, or to beg for information. It felt like an eternity, when it was probably only seconds.

“Congratulations! It’s a healthy baby girl.”

One of the doctors stepped past the screen, holding a bundle wrapped in a pastel blue towel, and before Jack could say anything it was gently placed against his chest.

Their daughter was a slimy beautiful mess. Dark wisps of hair stuck out from her tiny head, and her face was flushed red and pulled into an unhappy scowl before relaxing when she felt skin contact.

She was so tiny that Jack barely dared touching the baby. He could cover her completely with both his hands, and he half feared he’d hurt her with his rough palms. She didn’t cry any more when he dared hold her though, just whimpering quietly as she took her first breaths.

“She’s got your face,” Jack breathed out, unable to tear his eyes away from her face. She looked entirely to squished to tell what sort of features she had yet, but she certainly had her father’s angry scowl.

“She’s-“

There was a hiccup at his side, and when Jack finally looked up Gabriel was crying.

“Are you crying?”

“Look at her,” Gabriel replied instead, too choked up to really care about the tears running over his cheeks and into his beard. It was the first time Jack had seen him genuinely cry when he wasn’t in pain, and Gabriel looked so shocked, he probably wasn’t even noticing it.

He wanted to tease him for it, but it didn’t seem worth the energy when he could be looking at his daughter instead. She had calmed a little, either too exhausted by the herculean effort of being born, or actually soothed by Jack’s heartbeat. Gabriel kissed Jack’s cheek, whispering thanks before leaning closer to look at their child.

“Hey there, angel,” he cooed at her, though his efforts to get her attention were ignored. Gabriel reached out to pet her hair then, using only his finger to try and smooth down the dark strands.

Jack didn’t know how long they were just doing that, him staring at the baby while Gabriel gently patted her head with his finger. Eventually the doctors must have finished closing and cleaning him up though. He was reluctant to let go of the baby, but he knew they’d want to check her over and make sure she was healthy.

He was vaguely aware of Gabriel letting go of his hand to stick to the nurse holding their baby like a hawk, vaguely remembered being told something about painkillers and making sure the dosage was high enough, and his parents being there when the bed was pushed outside.

Then he remembered falling asleep feeling more accomplished than when he’d shut down his first Omnium.

 

*

 

The comfort of his bed and the gentle prattle of rain against the windows were way too good at trying to seduce Jack back into a peaceful slumber. He was wrapped in soft blankets that only left his left hand exposed, connecting him to some IV drip to make sure he was getting enough to knock his pain out as he healed.

Jack blinked at the window to the side, seeing nothing but steel grey and the patterns raindrops had left against the glass. When he carefully turned his head he saw an elbow, and then the entire body of his husband.

Gabriel was sitting on the bed, which was wide enough to be counted as luxury for two given what they were used to from the past years. He had kicked off his shoes before climbing on the bed, and he had lifted the bundle containing their daughter from her cot to cradle her. He was still cooing at her, whispering nonsense endearments even though she seemed to be fast asleep.

“Hey there you two,” Jack managed to whisper. His voice was scratchy from sleepy, and he still felt woozier than he normally did when he woke up.

“Look who’s awake now,” Gabriel told the baby, before turning to Jack with a bright grin.

“Sleep well?”

“Yeah, feel like it’s been years since I passed out,” Jack muttered.

“Want me to call your parents? They’re having a drink with my family I think, and I promised to call if you’re awake enough for visitors.”

Jack shook his head numbly.

“I think I’ll just fall asleep before they’ll get here. Everything alright with her?”

Gabriel shifted so that he was holding the little girl lower on his lap, making it easier for Jack to see her.

“Perfectly so. She’s got all her toes and fingers in place and was just a little smaller than five pounds. Such a tiny kid.”

Jack couldn’t help the soft coo that escaped him at that. He couldn’t muster the energy to sit up and take her from Gabriel, feeling entirely too sleepy still. But the sight of Gabriel cradling their daughter was more than worth it.

“She really does look like you,” he commented, taking in how the girl’s skin matched Gabriel’s, despite how rosy and soft she looked, and her dark hair that already looked thick and soft as down. “Nothing like me.”

“It’s too early to tell with how squishy she is,” Gabriel shot back. “She’ll have your nose and your chin, just you wait.”

“Better not.”

Gabriel started humming something as the baby briefly cracked open her eye, just to fall back asleep. She probably couldn’t see anyone around her very well yet.

“Did you pick a name?” Jack asked after smiling at the sleeping baby for a while.

“No. I wanted you to have a say in it.”

“I’d just think of something stupid. Come on, I wanted you to pick.”

Gabriel looked down at the baby for a few moments, thinking.

“If you don’t mind… I really like Isabella for her name.”

Jack smiled, trying the name out in his mind.

“Ellie. Yeah. Yeah I really like that. Hey there, Ellie.”

Ellie didn’t react to her dad’s voice at all, her face set in the same soft scowl she’d sported at her birth. For a moment Jack wondered if his daughter would be a grumpy kid, but then decided that it didn’t matter at all.

He pushed his head further into the pillows, already feeling sleep crawl back in. Gabriel was back to rocking Isabella back and forth gently, as if to make sure the baby wouldn’t wake up. Like anything even could disturb that child now.

“Ellie, hey there Ellie. Wanna say hi to your daddy, Ellie?”

Ellie, as expected, did not wake up to grace that with any kind of reaction, and Jack fell back asleep with a smile on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May the Golden Years of Overwatch commence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a little bit of not explicit smut towards the end

Isabella Audrey Reyes was two weeks old and completely unimpressed by the world around her, unless it involved food or naps. She was barely doing more than blink up at people and sleep, doing the latter securely in her parents’ arms or cuddled in a nest Gabriel had constructed out of pillows on their bed, both him and Jack reluctant to put her in her cot for very long. 

She was immediately declared the most adorable little thing, her cheeks never losing their rosiness in the days after her birth, and her hair still sticking out in every direction no matter how often Gabriel’s sisters tried to smooth it down by petting her head. Ellie didn’t seem particularly happy about her family members trying to take a good look at her and line up for a cuddle, watching everyone with a slight pout and barely open eyes, making squeaky little whimpers to voice her discontent if she was handed around too much. 

Still, apart from loudly announcing how absolutely ravenous she was every few hours, she was a sweet baby, and a relief for Gabriel who hadn’t been sure if he could handle taking care of her. She only ever wanted two things, food, and warm cuddles to fall asleep. Any incidents with her diapers didn’t bother her at all, forcing her dads to guess at what was going on without any indication from their daughter.

Waking up to feed her during the night was no different than having to get up for watch during the Crisis. And here there was an added benefit of getting to stay in a warm and secure location to prepare a bottle and go right back to sleep once Ellie had eaten enough to doze off again. Compared to what Gabriel had been through in the past years, that aspect of fatherhood was a piece of cake. 

What wasn’t easy was the doubt. It seemed as if Gabriel had forgotten everything he’d memorized from the parent guides and what his mother had told him, and Jack looked doubtful about nearly everything they tried as well. He was scared to touch Ellie sometimes, or move her impossibly fragile body around to change her clothes. He absolutely did not want to find out just how much was too much for a baby, and his enhanced strength only served to make those worries worse. Why did babies have to wear clothes anyway?

His mother told him that he’d instinctively know what to do, which was the opposite of reassuring, and the Strike Team group chat minus Liao, who had never been in contact with babies, assured the new parents that they were doing just fine. 

Both their parents tried to help where they could, offering advice on everything one might need to know about keeping a baby happy. In the end it was still on them though, and when Adawe sent a message requesting for the family to come to Switzerland to the newly opened Overwatch headquarters, Gabriel was nearly glad. The entire Strike Team would be at his side or at the very least in proper contact. They had fought hoards of Bastion units together, they would face the challenge of figuring out how babies needed to be treated as well.

Yeah, they were being called back to help work on the peace efforts and to return to do more of a clean up job in the wake of the Crisis, but it wouldn’t be too different from having a job while raising a kid. As much as he loved the little house by the shore, Gabriel did know he’d get bored sooner or later.

So soon their belongings were packed back into their duffle bag, along with an additional small bag for things they had acquired during their stay in LA, a travel bag for Gabriel’s sewing kit, and an enormous suitcase for Ellie’s stuff. Adawe had sent them a proper private plane to make their journey across the ocean as comfortable as possible, now that the UN could finally spring for some luxury treatment for their heroes.

The plane was equipped with the plushest seats imaginable, and the option to shift them into beds and dim the lights as much as they wanted. Though there wasn’t a flight attendant they actually did have a kitchenette, and a kettle to prepare Ellie’s formula food with easily. She didn’t seem to mind the plane ride at all, only quietly whining during take off but then ignoring any turbulence and the quiet hum of the plane’s engines as she slept against Gabriel’s chest, looking like a doll against him.

“You think I can claim being the stay at home dad and get out of boring meetings with spineless politicians?” Gabriel asked as he gently patted Ellie’s head.

“As if anyone would believe you,” Jack shot back immediately, glancing up from his holo pad. “You’re the leader of the Strike Team, you can’t get out of being a symbol of peace and representing Overwatch. And why would they believe _you’re_ the stay at home parent anyway?”

Gabriel raised his brows and glance down at the pad. He didn’t need to see what messages were displayed on it to know Jack was currently discussing something widely important with Adawe, Ana, and whoever was in charge of outfitting the new base.

Jack let out a sigh and put the thing aside.

“Alright, but there’s only so many of your obligations I can take over as the second in command. Eventually they’ll start to feel insulted when they stop and think about it.”

“What do I care? Sure, you hate these social things more than I do, but at least you never snapped at anyone important. They love you.”

Jack glanced outside the window where pink and purple clouds blocked the view on the rocky mountains below.

“Sometimes I hate how my mother raised me to be way too polite,” he muttered as he got up and opened a box of baby formula.

“Are you implying my mum did a bad job of raising me?”

“I’m just saying she had three other kids to focus on and knew a lost cause when she saw it.”

Jack was just starting to mix baby food together when Ellie started fussing and let out a tiny whimper. By now they had become good at guessing when she might want to eat, and Gabriel was glad that food would come to her before she truly started crying in earnest. He knew that this was her only way to communicate at such a young age, but he hated the thought of seeing his daughter made unhappy by even such cruel things as the tiniest twinge of hunger.

Soon Jack returned with a small bottle and settled down so Gabriel could carefully place Ellie in his arms. She squinted up at her dad, and immediately stopped crying when she felt the nudge of the bottle against her lips.

As soon as she started drinking Jack’s face softened. He looked more at peace than Gabriel had seen him even in his sleep, eyes full of wonder as he gently swayed his body and held the bottle so that Ellie would be able to drink comfortably. It wasn’t a sight Gabriel would have guessed could make him feel all choked up, but here he was.

“Honestly, if that’s what it takes to make sure things be peaceful, I wouldn’t mind being stuck with some politicians for a while,” Jack said quietly, occasionally adjusting his grip on the bottle to make sure Ellie was still eating. “Every kid that’s born now won’t know what the world went through, and I’m glad I could do something to help.”

“I doubt anything could make me feel like I’m improving the world by just talking,” Gabriel replied, chin resting on his hand as he watched his family. “It’s important and all, but I never felt like I’m getting anything done if I can’t see or feel the results for myself. You’re better at planning for the long term, you’ll do great with these slow moving conferences and meetings.”

Jack let out a laugh.

“I’ll have to do great so my commander doesn’t end up offending everyone who has a say about our budget and then some.”

Gabriel waved him off and leaned back to make himself comfortable. He glanced towards the fridge, wondering when to attack the truly expensive meals they had been provided with.

“I led humanity out of a robot apocalypse, I should get to insult a few people without getting scolded for it.”

He knew Jack was probably rolling his eyes at that. His husband decided to keep back any comment about that though, and instead carefully put away the bottle and lifted up Ellie so she could rest against his shoulder and recover from her feast.

Perhaps he _could_ bite his tongue if he kept that little girl in mind. But why bite his tongue when he could instead remove himself from annoying people entirely to sing lullabies to a baby instead? Jack could sing too, but his voice was a deep rumble that would probably keep Ellie awake anyway. 

It was a noble cause Jack was subjecting himself to horrid company for. But really, Gabriel couldn’t care less about any causes when he could instead be spending time with his darling daughter. 

 

*

 

Gabriel was leaning against a pillar of the grand hallway, currently mostly empty as most of the guests were already in the ballroom where the ceremony would happen. Jack paced quietly back and forth, his brand new blue duster quietly swinging behind him like a flag with each sharp turn.

“You should relax,” Gabriel commented, idly brushing some speck of dust from his dress uniform. “The people who were actually invited worship the ground you walk on.”

Jack let out a groan.

“I don’t want that attention. I didn’t go to prom just in case they’d try to call me on stage and stick some stupid sports award on me.”

“Never took you for someone who has stage fright.”

Jack paused, and glanced back at Gabriel. He looked entirely too at ease about all of this, dressed in a formal uniform but still looking as if he was only here for a laugh. The presence of dignitaries outside the military had made him scoff when the guest list was announced, and then Gabriel had started acting like this was just some useless party that was entirely unnecessary for the occasion.

“It’s not that. I just never liked people pay attention to me in situations like this. Standing on a stage while everyone stares and you just have to act and pretend like you’re having a blast no matter what’s actually going on?”

He ran a hand over his face, stopping just in time to avoid sticking his fingers into his hair to mess up the careful work that had been done to make it look less like he’d been in a hurricane.

“Don’t think of those idiots in there,” Gabriel said as he stepped closer, hands running over the lapels of Jack’s duster. “Think about me, thinking about how ravishing you look in your full gear.”

Jack let out a laugh.

“You don’t want me to think about this on stage, honestly.”

“Why, are you afraid that you can’t control yourself and we’ll put on a show?”

They both had to bite back their laughter at that. The door opened a crack, and Ana stepped outside to look over at them, eyebrows raised.

“Boys, everyone’s already in place. I figure you want to be called in before somebody decides to hurry you along?”

“Thanks,” Jack said, stepping away from Gabriel and squaring his shoulders a little.

“Any news from the babysitter?” Gabriel asked, ignoring the people who were trying to catch a glimpse from the inside of the hall.

“Yeah, Isabella has been asleep for a while and Fareeha finally grew bored of waiting for the baby to move and decided to go draw instead.”

They had decided to leave both the children in Ana’s quarters for the occasion, not wanting to subject either girl the boredom of a banquet. And to avoid having to carry either around late at night to put them to bed somewhere else, Ellie would spend the night at Ana’s place.

“You two deserve to celebrate,” she had insisted. “And I’ll probably get to leave politely way before either of you.”

Jack put on his best charming smile as he entered, immediately picking up on how at each table the conversations picked up, how they were discussing who he was, what he’d done. All eyes were on him it seemed, as the trio walked up towards the podium, to the longest table where the original Strike Team and various guests of honour were assembled.

He didn’t like the attention, didn’t like how even once he sat down and the first speaker approached the podium and waiters started to scurry around most eyes were still on him. It didn’t help that the speakers kept bringing him up.

People Jack only vaguely remembered stepped up, one by one as drinks were served, all praising Overwatch for the work they’d been doing. For saving the world from the Omnic Crisis and then proceeding to help save humanity from itself in the past year. How Jack had personally led teams into cities that were still under siege by the last remaining Omnic groups, how they had broken apart local gangs and terrorist organisations that had latched on to cities still reeling from the shock of the war.

Jack kept his smile, nodding politely each time somebody mentioned his name. He’d rather be back there, worrying about his team and whether he’d come back whole and safe to his daughter. It had been much easier than fighting Omnics, that much was certain, but he didn’t enjoy having to deal with humanity messing itself up further. It exhausted him to even think of it, but he led the Strike Team to battle again and again.

Finally the main event approached, as Gabrielle Adawe stepped up to the podium.

She kept it short, thankfully.

“Today it is my honour to present the man who is leading our world into a time of peace with his due reward,” she said, glancing back to the table with a smile for each member of the Strike Team. “Jack Morrison, would you step over to me, please?”

Jack got up and moved past his friends towards the podium, briefly feeling Gabriel’s hand brush against his knuckles and Torbjörn clap his elbow in encouragement as he moved past them.

He stood next to Gabrielle, towering over her even with the elegant heels she’d donned for the occasion. An assistant stepped closer to hand her a neat polished box, which she opened with a soft click.

Jack only spared a glance for the medal inside, not really caring for what it looked like all that much. It was just another shiny piece of metal to add on to his collection, and this one was more of a formality than anything he’d really earned. It represented the accumulated work that had already earned him more than enough shiny decorations to put on his lapel to let anyone get the gist.

“I am proud to present this symbol of peace and a future of hope to the new Strike Commander of Overwatch,” Gabrielle said as she pinned it to his lapel, before clasping Jack’s hand. “The entire world thanks you for your service, Strike Commander Morrison.”

At least he didn’t have to fake his smile of gratitude. Gabrielle had done as much in protecting humanity in managing to assemble the Strike Team as the group had done itself. Without her, they would never had gotten the chance to work together. To work by her side was an honour.

“It is an honour,” Jack said out loud, ignoring the sound of cameras going off. They posed for a few pictures briefly, before he was shoved towards the podium himself by some firm hand.

It was over quickly, Jack’s eyes moving from face to face without really seeing anyone as he spoke through some speech about being grateful and wanting to work hard to ensure the peace between humans and Omnics remained. None of the agents involved in Overwatch he actually knew were there, and he wished he could speak to them instead. He’d feel so much more sincere about what he was saying if he could face people who actually worked on what he was promising.

Then it was over and finally attention moved on to conversations and food.

Jack sunk down on his seat, allowing a small groan to escape his lips before somebody was already shoving a flute of champagne into his hand.

“For someone who hates these things you did an amazing job,” Liao piped up, leaning over with a grin to pat Jack’s shoulder. “I swear, you were much more dignified and charming than anyone else.”

“Thanks,” Jack replied with a crooked grin. He took a sip from his champagne, savouring the taste even though he knew it would do nothing in terms of getting him even the tiniest bit buzzed. He caught Gabriel’s eye, who was giving him a strange look.

“Truly worthy of the title, Jackie,” he whispered, raising his own flute to toast Jack.

The first few hours of the banquet went over much better than Jack had feared. The Strike Team was seated close enough to him that it felt as if he was just among friends, and he avoided any conversations with people he only knew in passing. He drank and laughed and enjoyed the food, ignoring just why the hall was so full of people, and why he was dressed in his full uniform and newly polished armour that made him stand out from the rest of his friends.

Liao cracked their jokes, Reinhardt was a never ending well of stories, and Ana would occasionally roll her eyes but smile in understanding when Jack or Gabriel demanded she text the babysitter to find out how Ellie was doing. That was precisely the reason she had refused to hand Jack the number and had made Gabriel leave his private communicator at home, knowing that he’d find the number anyway. Torbjörn promised they’d get used to not hovering over the little one, but Jack wasn’t sure how he could ever be that relaxed about his daughter.

With them he could forget about Overwatch growing in size and responsibility, or how he had been the one tasked to oversee it all. How he was now the head of an international organisation of an unprecedented scale, or how Gabriel was starting to take over more and more of the tasks that were classified and not even all the UN directors knew of.

It was only when all courses were eaten, and the tables were moved to the side to allow for a small dance floor and for people to walk around and talk that the evening took a dip back into the uncomfortable. Jack was expected to mingle with everyone, as the man of the night, which meant his cheeks would most certainly ache from smiling.

His only consolation was that at the very least he faced a string of smaller groups approaching him, and face to face conversations with people who genuinely thought he was some kind of hero. At least they didn’t expect him to hold speeches anymore, they just kept asking and talking about things Jack didn’t really know what to tell them about. How did one describe efforts of a handful of soldiers during the Crisis without making it sound too gruesome?

The team was some help at least. Torbjörn, as a world famous scientist, pulled away some of the attention that would otherwise have been on Jack, and Reinhardt’s loud and cheerful nature made people gravitate towards him like moths to a flame. Liao would occasionally butt into conversations Jack was already having, but their charming disposition made everyone be happy to talk to them rather than continue make Jack retell the same stories over and over. Ana and Gabriel both took the sneaky approach of stepping up to Jack’s side, listening to what was being talked about, to then skilfully insert themselves into the conversation until it was only them talking to whoever it was at all, not allowing them to get too many remarks at Jack in.

As the evening dragged on some members of the team started to become less than helpful. Torbjörn and Ana both excused themselves to return to their quarters, while Reinhardt had decided to take a break at the bar, cheeks rosy from drinking and talking so much and self-aware enough to know when he needed to stop. Liao joined him, though they clearly weren’t ready to stop celebrating. Gabriel had that impatient air about him that turned people away, so Jack was forced to nudge him aside lest he start arguing with someone over nothing.

“They’re keeping my husband captive,” Gabriel growled into his ear when Jack led him aside to ask why he kept lurking around with a sour expression. “Of course I’m gonna look grumpy when he has to smile and entertain some idiots when he could be entertaining _me_.”

Jack felt his eyes on him for the rest of the night. Kept taking sips of champagne while wondering whether he should pretend to be a little bit tipsy in case somebody was keeping track and wondering why his drinks weren’t affecting him. Kept glancing back to see Gabriel’s hungry gaze on him. Kept thinking about the currently empty bedroom where he _could_ have a writhing gorgeous man beneath him without worrying about making too much noise-

“I think you have to excuse me,” he told the small group before him with a sheepish smile. “It’s been a long day and you know how it is. Gotta be up all nice and early to get back to work the next morning.”

That earned him some laughs and good night wishes, and then he was out of the hall, and out in the corridors of the new Overwatch headquarters.

A few guests lingered outside in a beautiful yard section of the building, and a little further away there were waiters on their break, chatting and having a smoke and going stiff when Jack passed them. He wished them a good night and pointedly did not comment on whatever they were doing, figuring that they ought to know he couldn’t care less about how anyone spent their breaks. They relaxed once he was past them, all resuming their chatter.

Jack made it nearly all the way to the section of the base that was meant for private areas when he finally ran into Gabriel. He was about to ask why Gabriel hadn’t waited up for him to walk back together like a normal couple, when his husband crossed the gap between them and grabbed Jack’s ass to drag him closer for a kiss.

It was damn near filthy, warm and open mouthed and without any semblance of finesse.

“So, Strike Commander,” Gabriel growled into Jack’s ear, pressing their hips together so that Jack could feel how hard he was already. “Gonna come back home and fuck me into the mattress then?”

“Not sure if that’s part of my job description,” Jack said as his hands snuck up to grab Gabriel’s waist. “But I can make some arrangements.”

 

*

 

The room was dark, the only light coming from a tiny blue night lamp they’d forgotten to turn off near Ellie’s bed and couldn’t be bothered with now. Whoever had overseen the furniture for the officer’s quarters had been truly gifted at their job, as there wasn’t even the slightest creak from the bedframe.

Apart from the shifting of sheets and the slaps of skin against skin only their voices filled the silence. Jack grunted quietly as he thrust against Gabriel over and over, the snaps of his hips in a slow but harsh rhythm. Their chests were pressed together, Gabriel’s harsh breathing and moans vibrating deep in Jack’s lungs as he tried to keep himself from biting at Gabriel’s exposed neck.

Sweat was beading on his skin as Gabe’s hands moved over his back and arms, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises when he hit a particularly good spot, or clinging to the straps of Jack’s harness to hold on for dear life.

“Come on _Strike Commander_ ,” Gabriel managed to get out in between moans. “What would the people say if- aAH– they knew you’re holding back when-“

Jack cut him off by shifting the angle of his hips and changing up his rhythm just a little, enough to throw Gabriel off.

“If I didn’t know better I’d guess you have some kind of kink for me being above you in every sense,” he joked. 

“Have a thing for authority you never told me you had?”

Gabriel turned his head to stare up at him then, eyes dark and full of lust.

“Oh shit, you do?”

Gabriel’s hands grabbed at his hair to drag him down for a kiss, ankles digging into the small of Jack’s back.

“Damn Jackie, maybe? Maybe it’s you.”

He kissed Jack again, deep and biting, forcing Jack to halt for a few moments.

“I mean look at you,” Gabriel groaned. “You’re unfairly hot doing all that stuff. You’re good at all the parts of the job I hate. Shit- Jackie, I’m _proud_ of you, and all you’ve achieved. Maybe it shouldn’t turn me on, but it does.”

He ground back against Jack, causing him to let out another groan.

“Now come on and fuck me like you mean it Strike Commander.”

“Next you’ll tell me you’re into role play and want me to give you orders in bed,” Jack grinned, and got a kick to the back for that.

“We can discuss that _after_ we fuck. And after I’ve gone down on you at least once.”

“You sure know how to convince a man.”

Before Jack could resume his pace Gabriel’s hands moved down to cradle his face, thumbs stroking over his lips with a look of vulnerability and fondness written on it clear as day.

“I love you, sunshine,” he said, voice rough with emotion. “Don’t ever dare think otherwise.”

Jack smiled, unable and unwilling to come up with a joke in reply.

“I love you too, Gabe. I don’t think I’d know how not to.”

They kissed again, arms around each other until Jack flipped them over to have Gabriel straddle him. The blue of their lamp made his skin shine, emphasising every sharp edge and curve and Jack reached up to touch him gently, worshiping his body with his hands until Gabriel melted against his touch.

It nearly made him dizzy to realize once again that he had this man for the rest of his life now. That he had everything he’d ever worked for, that Gabriel would stay by his side and that they had their own home, their family, all of this.

They made love until the early hours of the morning, forgetting the world around them, forgetting everything that wasn’t the other’s touch, the other’s kisses. There was nothing that could surpass this now. Nothing Jack could possible ask for to feel any happier with his life at all.

 

*

 

The next morning saw them in Ana’s quarters, with Jack having raided her fridge for everything that could possibly be made into breakfast for four people.

Ana had prepared tea in her beautiful glass cups, setting it out for everyone. She even included some fennel tea to cool down and carefully offer to Ellie. She looked a little betrayed when Gabriel cradled her and offered her something that clearly wasn’t food, but drank it anyway.

Fareeha kept running around between the kitchen and the living room, where Ana had put on some cartoon the little girl enjoyed, but one that clearly wasn’t enough to keep her attention focused for long.

“She looks like a weird jacket potato,” was the first thing she’d said when Gabriel asked her how she liked the baby, but clearly Ellie was still interesting enough to keep coming back to stare and watch her eat or nap.

“Ellie won’t be doing anything fun for months,” Ana reminded her, but Fareeha still insisted to stick around just in case her mother was wrong and the baby would do something cool after all.

Jack was halfway through cooking the tenth fluffy chocolate pancake when the adults finally relented.

“You can hold her if you’re really still and careful,” Gabriel told Fareeha, who immediately sat down on a chair and looked up with wide eyes. Jack glanced over to see Gabriel place Ellie very gently into the older girl’s arms, showing her how it was done.

He stood up then, walking over to the stove, and Jack returned his attention to the pancakes when Ana scooted closer to the girls to keep an eye on them.

“This smells delicious, Jackie,” Gabriel sighed as he pressed his body against Jack’s back, arms wrapping around his waist and chin resting on his shoulder. “Damn shame you’re not making bacon, I can’t imagine how nice that’d taste with how well you cook.”

Jack snorted and Ana called out a “not in this house, Gabriel” from behind them.

“As if pancakes aren’t good enough to make up for anything,” Jack teased Gabriel and cut off a piece of the freshest pancake to have Gabriel take a bite.

He continued cooking up more as Gabriel clung to him unhelpfully, but he couldn’t say he minded too much. Only when the pancakes were done did Gabriel step aside to grab some plates and forks for everyone. Ana placed cream and some berries on the table, and carefully took Ellie out of Fareeha’s arms to allow her daughter to immediately go for the pancakes.

“Uncle Jack makes the best pancakes, doesn’t he?” Ana asked as Fareeha stuffed her face as quickly as she could. She chewed, and nodded enthusiastically, already old enough to know not to talk with her mouth full. Then she glanced at Ellie, who had been placed against Jack’s shoulder to doze some more.

“When’s she gonna be old enough to eat pancakes too?” she asked. “Soon?”

Jack shook his head and gently patted Ellie’s back.

“She won’t get to for many months.”

Fareeha frowned, looking down at the stack of pancakes in the middle of the table.

“Then all of those are wasted on her,” she said, frowning before her face suddenly lit up. “So _I_ have to eat them for her!”

Before Ana could stop her Fareeha pulled as many pancakes onto her own plate as she could, starting to stuff them into her mouth like a starving wolf.

“You’ll make yourself sick if you eat that many,” Gabriel commented as he cut up his own food to pop into his mouth.

Fareeha gave him an angry look as Ana threw a glare at Gabriel, who shrugged with a grin. They all knew the young Amari would take that as a challenge.

Jack grinned as he watched Ana attempt to keep Fareeha from stuffing an entire pancake into her mouth while Gabriel pretended like this had nothing to do with him. He rubbed his cheek against Ellie’s side, warm and covered in a soft white romper.

He had never felt such a sense of belonging in a place and among a group of people at the same time before. It was strange to think that after everything, this was where his heart had decided home should be.


	9. Chapter 9

The sound of wailful childish sighs was loud enough to reach Gabriel in the kitchen, and he had long given up glancing over to check on what the girls were doing. It was all the same any time he looked anyway. Fareeha was decked out in her martial arts uniform, though she wouldn’t be needing it for another three hours, stretched out on the couch with a glassy expression as she stared at the TV.

Next to her Ellie hadn’t succumbed to the stage of boredom that left you lying around doing nothing yet. With each long suffering sigh the four year old would change her position, slide down the couch’s arms and back, hang upside down as if that would make the cartoon reruns any more fun, or turned towards the windows with such a mournful look that the heavy clouds outside really should do the decent thing and piss off. The torrential downpour outside had a harder heart than Gabriel though, and insisted on ruining the girls’ plans to look for bugs in the bushes near the running tracks.

Gabriel checked the clock in the kitchen when yet another dramatic sigh escaped Ellie’s lips. Still three more hours to go before Ana was done with her day’s work to fetch Fareeha for whatever lesson she’d promised her this time. Three more hours of neither girl’s attention being worthy of whatever entertainment the rainy day could provide.

He finished his coffee and left the cup in the sink, throwing one last glance to the living room before walking out and towards the Strike Commander’s office. It was a pity that so few agents actually had children who lived close enough to the base to warrant more indoor entertainment. Books, cartoons, and any sort of board games or whatever usually was enough to keep his daughter happy weren’t doing it right now, and there were only so many things Gabriel knew to offer. He was half willing to find Ellie’s gumboots to let her run outside to splash around in some puddles, but it was probably too cold for that. A few hours of boredom relief weren’t worth getting sick.

Jack was alone in his office, reading something displayed on a screen by his desk, the shutters of his large windows drawn to reveal the downpour outside. His hair was dishevelled, and he wasn’t wearing any of his usual uniform, making the entire office look nearly cosy in that moment.

“Hey there,” Gabriel greeted him as he pulled up a chair to settle across from Jack.

His husband glanced up with a smile.

“Tired of the girls already?”

“Not unless you think hearing bored sighs is tiring,” Gabriel replied, leaning on his elbow as Jack switched off his screens. It was a slow day for everyone, and other than awaiting reports from several international Overwatch bases there was little to do. “They had their hearts set on doing something outside, so now that they can’t none of their favourite things could possible compare to the joy of digging for worms.”

Jack chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder.

“Honestly, I’d have gone outside to play anyway when I was that age. But knowing our luck they’d both catch a cold at the same time.”

“That’s why I wanted to take both of them to the training grounds to teach them self defence,” Gabriel said casually.

At once Jack went rigid and turned to face Gabriel with a frown.

“No.”

“You know it’d entertain them.”

“That’s not the point. Your idea of self defence isn’t something I want a four year old kid to know. Or an eight year old girl that isn’t our own daughter for that matter, you won’t be teaching them.”

It wasn’t the first time Gabriel had tried to bring this up, but each time he’d backed down the second Jack showed any signs of discontent. Not now though. He both had to come up with something for the girls to do, and something he _needed_ Isabella to know what to do.

“Listen, Ellie is the daughter of a retired war hero, not to mention the daughter of the leader of one of the most powerful organisations in the world. She will inevitably be in situations where she’ll need to know how to fight back and how to get the hell out of there.”

Jack’s look darkened.

“Overwatch is beloved by the entire world, and people are still drawing goddamn murals of the original Strike Team,” he growled, shoulders drawn forward. “Any gang and crime syndicate we’ve been culling is located as far away of any base Isabella is in as possible. Nobody will get to her, we have no enemies who even can get close enough for this.”

“I’m not saying it’s gotta be some Deadlock gangster or a Mafioso,” Gabriel replied patiently, ignoring Jack’s rising temper. “It can be any random person who was angered by something we did. It can be a mad person, or somebody who just wants the powertrip of getting to blackmail one of the most powerful and universally beloved heroes of the Omnic Crisis. It can be some desperate fool trying to be heard by any means necessary. Or it-“

“I get it,” Jack hissed. He sagged and buried his face in his hands. For a moment Gabriel felt bad for pushing like that, for forcing him to imagine any of the scenarios his own brain couldn’t switch off, ever aware of anything that could go wrong but confident in stopping anything he could come up with. This was why he needed Jack to see his point.

“I want Ellie to be safe,” Gabriel went on, voice softening as he reached out to place his hands on Jack’s arms. “I will always protect her, I’d do anything. But I want her to at least be able to get out of any bad or even just scary situation all by herself in case I’m not close enough to make it go away, right? She’s old enough for this.”

Jack let his hands drop on the desk, glancing up at Gabriel mournfully.

“I don’t want her to be raised like a soldier. If she really wants a career like that, fine, but I want nothing we do to push her into it. I’m already glad that she’s not trying to beg Fareeha to teach her any of the stuff Ana shows her how to do.”

“I don’t want that for her either,” Gabriel soothed. “Self defence is a useful skill for anyone. And I want her to know how to run away. I’d teach her how to recognize danger and get out of there before she even has to lift a finger to actually do anything. Yeah, she’s protected, but anyone’s child has to learn that something bad could happen, and that you can get out of anything. I’ll make sure it’ll be just another fun activity before she’s old enough to understand, I promise. It’ll be just like an extended gym class but fun.”

Jack looked at him for several moments, before slowly leaning back in his chair.

“Why did nobody warn me about the stress of parenthood and how it’s amplified by being in such a public job,” he sighed, eyes on the ceiling.

“Cause Ana didn’t think it’s necessary to mention it.”

At that he finally coaxed the smile back on Jack’s face.

“Ana is an exception. People don’t try to mess with her that much.”

He glanced back at Gabriel.

“Now go get somebody to make me the biggest pot of coffee they can find and make sure Fareeha hasn’t taught Ellie how to blow up the fridge or something.”

“Whatever you wish, Strike Commander,” Gabriel replied with a grin and got to his feet.

He left with a salute, already trying to figure out how to tame two girls with way too much pent up energy all on his own for a few hours.

 

*

 

Ellie sat still on the bed as Jack carefully drew the comb through her wavy hair, over and over until it was nice and smooth. It was as thick as Gabe’s, soft and dark brown, but longer than he’d ever let it grow out.

“Pick out a tie, pumpkin,” Jack told his daughter as he set aside the comb to part her hair into two sections, already starting on her first braid. Ellie fumbled for her box of ties and blindly picked out two to hand over.

“These two, daddy,” she announced.

One had cotton butterflies attached to the ribbon, and the other two glittery clunky plastic stars that hurt like hell when snapping against skin, as Jack knew by experience. He placed both on his wrist as he quickly finished up both braids and tied them up with Ellie’s chosen decorations. It was weirdly soothing to do his daughter’s hair, the five year old just a little too clumsy to do her favourite braids perfectly herself. Jack had some vague memories of braiding his own hair at some point, but he had cut it off unevenly with kitchen scissors when he was six, as it had started to bother him with the way it got into his eyes when it escaped his braids. He didn’t miss having hair long enough to do anything with, but still the action of braiding was incredibly satisfying.

“There, all done,” he said and patted Ellie’s head to signal that it was now safe to move without having him mess up her looks.

She ran up to the mirror by her closet, admiring herself for a moment before tugging at the ends of her braids.

“Don’t tell papa, but you do this _way_ better,” Ellie whispered at Jack, causing him to laugh.

“He traded in all skills in hair braiding to be able to make you the cutest dresses,” he told her, causing her to nod firmly.

Ever since Isabella had been admitted to a primary school Gabriel had been the one to help her get ready in the morning, making sure she was presentable for classes. He always tried to make a point of being there during her school days, both to help her get ready and to let Jack have some time to go through the list of his daily tasks without interruptions. He still took the time to do her hair most days, when he had enough time in the mornings. 

The first few times Jack had been entirely absent during the mornings, Ellie had slipped into his office before going to school, braids slightly crooked. She made him redo them entirely, though she also asked to keep it a secret from her papa. Jack wasn’t sure if Gabriel knew of this, but he kept it a secret anyway. His husband was slowly getting better at this after all. 

Jack put away the comb and the box of hair ties, with Ellie already jumping up on the bed to bounce slightly and stare up at him.

“Can I wear the blue shirt with the planets today?” she asked eagerly.

He raised an eyebrow at her at that. It was her favourite, dark blue with planets that had cartoon faces on it. She always asked for that one specifically when she wanted to dress herself up, the pretty print making it the fanciest piece of clothing to five year old.

“And what’s the occasion then?” he asked, immediately getting a slightly sheepish expression in turn.

“Angie said I’d get to see the new lab if I behave well,” she said, cheeks flushing slightly. Ellie had been absolutely in awe of the teenaged girl ever since she first heard that Angela got to oversee a laboratory all of her own, and that she was so young and already a real scientist. Growing up among war heroes Jack supposed that it was normal for her to hero worship somebody who was so unlike her honorary aunts and uncles.

“Did you do your homework for next week?” Jack asked sternly, pretending like he was still considering allowing it. As if he could deny Ellie such an innocent pastime when she never got herself in trouble in the various Overwatch facilities anyway. She always stayed out of the way and watched whatever was going on, making all agents willing to let her observe their work. 

“Of course! I even double checked all my math like you taught me to!”

He laughed and shook his head.

“Then I see no reason why we shouldn’t go visit Angela.”

It was a little difficult to help a little overly excited girl get dressed out of her PJs and into a nice outfit, even if Ellie was trying to keep still when Jack tied her shoes. He dressed in casual fatigues himself, off duty but still feeling strange walking around the base in jeans or worn sweaters. Anyone might see, and he liked giving his agents the impression that he was always put together in some way.

It was a nice day, with sunshine flooding the hallways of the base. Ellie skipped along a few feet in front of Jack, though she’d occasionally stop to glance out of a window at the gorgeous golden trees outside. Each time an agent walked past they gave her a cheerful salute, one the girl returned expertly. Everyone was at ease around the Strike Commander so close to the recreational and break room areas, only giving him a respectful nod and a smile.

Halfway on his way to the labs Ana popped out of a break room, smiling as she noticed Ellie.

“My, aren’t you all prettied up today,” she greeted her, causing the girl to preen under the praise.

“We’re visiting Angie!” she told Ana, explaining her mood and favourite clothes easily.

Ana nodded and joined Jack as Ellie proceeded on her way, determined to not let anything halt her for long.

“I’m constantly amazed about how she’s not bored watching Angela talk about her dissertation,” she joked, and Jack shrugged.

“If that’s a sign of her being clever and loving science more than any of us… I’ll encourage it.”

“She’d lucky to have so many world famous scientists working this closely to her dad then,” Ana said. “Whatever her interests, you can just easily find somebody to explain whatever she wants.”

“That’ll be convenient once she’s got high school level homework,” Jack replied with a snort. “I don’t think I can help her anymore once she reaches that point.”

“Oh that,” Ana’s nose twitched in displeasure. “It’s already happening with Fareeha. I never got why my dad was so mad at my school books changing from his, but now I understand.”

The science and medical wing of the base came into view, just as Jack’s communicator went of with a soft ping. It wasn’t the sound of his private channel, so Ana raised an eyebrow when he reached for it anyway.

“Is it a good time?”

“Just checking what they want, but I’ll remind them about what a day off means,” Jack reassured her, attaching the communicator to his ear to answer the call.

“Strike Commander Morrison speaking,” he said, voice dropping into his pleasant business tone.

“Sir, it’s- _hrk_ -fficer Ricci here,” came the slightly distorted tone of a young woman’s voice. Jack frowned as he heard it. He knew Fiona Ricci in passing, had seen her mention on a Blackwatch report as the youngest pilot and the one flying the Blackfish to get teams towards their destination and back to bases. The tone was distorted as if she hadn’t bothered calibrating her own communication device properly.

“Ricci? Are you in South America right now?” he asked.

“Europe, sir, just landed in our own Zurich section. It’s about the comm- _kcch_ \- er. We’re back early, mission didn’t go as planned.”

Jack’s frown deepened as she spoke, eyes darting to Ana who was slowly realizing that this was serious, and to Ellie who was skipping from one leg to the other, waiting for him to catch up to her impatiently.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“I don’t know,” Ricci replied, voice tense. “No casualties, but the commander’s in the hospital wing. I really thought you should know.”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat as he heard that. Most of Blackwatch was very aware of their beloved commander being the Strike Commander’s husband. It wasn’t exactly a secret, even if neither of them ever went public with their private life. That it wasn’t Gabriel calling meant that he was either hurt badly, or hurt just a little bit and thought it wasn’t worth bothering Jack with. But the fact that one of his agents had called…

“Thank you, I’ll be there shortly,” Jack told her, switching off the comm.

“What is it?” Ana asked him.

“Gabe’s back, and he’s hurt,” Jack whispered, barely moving his lips. Gabriel wasn’t supposed to be home for another two weeks, and things really must have gone to shit if he was back due to an injury.

Ana’s eyes widened a fraction, but her body language didn’t betray her tension.

“Go, I’ll come up with something for Ellie. Just join us later if you can, she’ll be too occupied with Angela, she won’t even mind.”

Jack nodded gratefully, glancing back to Ellie with an apologetic smile and a small wave. She smiled back, waving as cheerful as ever. He didn’t know if he was a good actor of if she just didn’t think to question why he was worried at any given moment given how often she witnessed him glare at reports.

With Ana rejoining Ellie Jack turned and walked back to where they’d come from. The second he was around the corner and well out of their sight he ran, ran as fast as he possibly could. Thankfully nobody was foolish enough to try and stop him.

 

*

 

Jack could see at first glance that the infirmary was filled with more than the usual cases of injuries. There were a couple of people he recognized as Blackwatch agents, already being tended to by nurses or napping in the rooms he passed. They were the ones who had been seen to before being transported in the first place, but needed further assistance now that they had returned to the base.

One of the nurses on duty caught a glimpse of the Strike Commander, and quickly waved him along as if she feared Jack would cause a scene or something. He wouldn’t, even though an urge to tear open every single door and shout for Gabriel was there. He was led towards one of the private hospital rooms, which could either mean that Gabe was getting special treatment as the commander or that he was hurt enough to need special supervision.

When he was led inside Jack’s first impression was that it must be a combination of both.

The room was small, just enough for a small table, a dresser, and a bed with equipment and IV bags on each side. Gabriel looked pale and exhausted against the light blue sheets, his hands curled against the material weakly. He had a nasty bruise on the side of his face, but Jack could see no further injuries.

“Gabe!” he called out, already moving to drop down on the chair by his husband’s side, grasping for his hand.

“Who ratted me out?” Gabriel croaked with a grin, his voice sounding much rougher than usual.

There was a cup of water on the tiny table by the bed, so Jack picked it up and carefully helped Gabriel take a few small sips.

“Thanks,” Gabriel sighed when he drank his fill.

“Why didn’t you message me the second things went wrong?” Jack demanded, worry drowning out the small part of him that wanted to know as the one who technically was supposed to give Gabriel orders.

“Who said things went wrong? We busted a crime ring and prevented a dictatorship to take hold in-“

“That’s not what I mean, I know what the mission was, and at no point should you have gotten hurt. What even happened?”

Gabriel blinked at Jack’s harsh tone, and Jack hoped he would at least have the decency to feel guilty for making him worry. He always was too quick to write off his own injuries, saying that their healing factor would take care of anything as long as he walked out breathing.

“A change in our target’s plans, there was a fire fight, some plans to attack Overwatch where they could, a bomb and some debris to the gut as I tried to hold the position for my team to retreat.”

He paused, looking at the ceiling.

“If we hadn’t uncovered it so soon, we might have had a little gang of nemesis running around, they’re not too happy about Overwatch preventing their terrorism.”

Jack frowned, rubbing his hand against his face.

“Did you at least try to keep yourself safe? Please tell me this was unavoidable.”

Gabriel was quiet for a tick too long, so Jack looked up at his entirely not guilty looking expression.

“Gabe!”

“Maybe, I don’t know,” Gabriel snapped, already defensive. “What was I supposed to do? Let them sit around for another week, not knowing whether they were planning even more little plots to take us down? You’re the leader of a beloved golden organisation, you’re a thorn in quite a few people’s side. You think I’d just twiddle my thumbs while I could be stopping somebody planning to get a bomb _here_? I won’t underestimate anyone, Jack, that’s how we won the war!”

Jack stared at Gabriel, speechless for a few seconds. Put like that, yeah, perhaps the risk was worth it, but he wouldn’t let that blind him.

“What if you had died? Or no, strike that. Tell me what you would have told Ellie if you got hurt in a way that won’t heal, or couldn’t come back when you promised. What would I tell her then?”

At this Gabriel’s façade finally broke. His eyes darted to the door near fearfully, before looking up at Jack pleadingly.

“Is she here?”

“No,” Jack said, feeling his anger disperse as he sagged in his chair. “I left her with Ana but she was there when I got the call. Gabe, this is precisely why I’m only joining missions when I absolutely need to be there. This is why we never go away at the same time. I don’t ever want Ellie to know either of us is hurt, let alone see it or grow up an orphan.”

“She won’t,” Gabriel said hotly, trying to sit up and failing. “I’m doing this for her, I’m doing it for _you_. Jack, you can’t keep me from doing everything in my power to keep you two safe. An attack against Overwatch would hit you two as well, I can’t let this- I _can’t_ sit idly-“

He gave up his attempt to sit, leaning further against the pillows. He looked so lost, Jack couldn’t help but lean forward to cup his face in his hands, mindful of his injury.

“You are already keeping us safe without throwing yourself into explosions,” he said softly. “Come on Gabe, you don’t have to go so far with it.”

“There is no going too far when you’re protecting what you love.”

Jack sighed, and carefully climbed onto the bed, positioning himself so that he wouldn’t fall off the edge but wasn’t squishing Gabriel either. He wrapped one arm around his shoulders, where there were no visible injuries, and Gabriel leaned his head against Jack’s with a sigh.

“What about me?” Jack asked quietly. “Can’t I protect the ones I love? If I’m not there to watch your six, I want to at least know that you always think about how you’re going to come home safe. I didn’t survive the Omnic Crisis with you just to see some god damn humans rip you away again.”

Gabriel was quiet as he shifted closer to Jack, hiding his face.

“I’ll always have a plan B just for coming home,” he promised, and it was more than Jack could have hoped for as far as concessions went right now. At least it was Gabriel saying he’d keep it in mind in the future.

“That’s all I ask,” he said, kissing Gabriel’s forehead.

Everything in Jack screamed that he should have been there, that he should join Gabriel’s missions just like in the good old times. But he couldn’t. He was the Strike Commander in a very public position; he couldn’t be joining secret black ops missions. Not to mention that they usually tended to get hurt at the same time, with how closely they fought, and how they never left the other behind even if just for a moment. Even just being hurt at the same time would be so hard to hide from Isabella, it wasn’t worth risking.

“Ellie can’t see you like this,” Jack sighed after a while, running his hand over one of Gabriel’s pale cheeks. Even a little kid would be able to tell that something was wrong with him. “Just… get well as quickly as you can, at the very least until you can just claim to be tired.”

Gabriel chuckled.

“Damn, I’ll find makeup to hide any signs of feeling bad before I’d let my little pumpkin worry.”

“And get well quick enough to finish making her that birthday surprise, whatever it is,” Jack added helpfully, causing Gabriel to swat at him weakly.

“Damn you Morrison! I am in hospital and you’re not giving me any love, just grief. What sort of husband are you?”

“One who makes sure you finish our daughter’s birthday presents on time,” Jack quipped, reaching back to pick up the cup of water again, helping Gabriel sooth his dry throat again. Let nobody say that he wasn’t a good husband.

When they had settled back to lying side by side, Gabriel glanced up at him.

“You should check on Ellie, she’s probably wondering where you disappeared to.”

Jack tugged his communication pad out of his pocket, quickly scrolling through a few updates from Ana about how Ellie was doing, and asking about what was going on. He sent a quick reply and tucked it away before returning to carefully holding Gabriel to his chest.

“She’s having the time of her life at the labs. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in time to make her dinner.”

“She needs you though.”

“You need me more right now,” Jack replied, pressing his face against Gabriel’s hair. “Ellie’s having a fun day while her fathers are busy for all she knows. You on the other hand survived a minor explosion and a trip over the ocean. I’ll be here for you.”

The sheets shifted as Gabriel raised his hand to rest against Jack’s shoulder, squeezing weakly.

Jack had cradled Gabriel just like that before. During SEP, when his body was wracked by experimental treatments, during the Crisis, when nightmares robbed him of sleep and sanity. Each time Jack wished that this was the last time he needed to do this, but each time he knew he would comfort Gabriel like this as often as he had to.

One day, he thought, one day there really would be no need to offer comfort when Gabriel was suffering anymore. One day he wouldn’t get hurt anymore, and he wouldn’t need to worry for his safety any longer either. That day couldn’t come soon enough.


	10. Chapter 10

It was obscenely early in the morning given that it was a Saturday, and Gabriel had left Jack dead to the world in their bedroom. He had slept since the second he’d hit the pillows the day before, mouth open but his sleep so deep he wasn’t even snoring as he drooled on Gabe’s side of the bed.

For two weeks Gabriel had barely seen Jack stumble in at night, exhausted beyond belief. There was a mission Overwatch had going on in Korea to aid the local army with the Leviathan Omnic that kept bothering the population before disappearing for an unforeseen amount of time. And as Overwatch had active agents over there, Jack had volunteered to adjust the hours long conference calls to the local time zone, on top of performing his regular duties as a Strike Commander and making sure to at least offer Ellie help with her homework. Those agents needed to rest more than he did, as he reasoned.

How Jack had survived for that time without sleeping for more than an hour at a time, Gabriel wasn’t sure.

It was boring just lying around trying not to make a single sound that would wake Jack from his much deserved rest, so Gabriel had snuck out and made himself comfortable in his armchair. He’d seized the opportunity of nobody watching him to prepare coffee in a giant mug, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and half a can of whipped cream. Let him have his joys in life without Jack teasing him or Ellie seeing what a bad example he was.

The peace lasted precisely as long as the ice cream needed to disintegrate in his coffee. A door creaked softly and Ellie stuck her head outside, blinking when she saw her father sitting right in her line of sight.

“Morning, papa!” she chirped, moving into the living room to sit in front of the TV.

“Morning, pumpkin,” Gabriel greeted her in turn, smiling at her sleepy appearance. Her braids were still mussed as Ellie hadn’t bothered to brush her hair yet, and she was still wearing her cream coloured polka dot pyjamas. The TV switched on, already stuck on some cartoon show. Why they ran those so early in the morning escaped Gabriel, as he couldn’t remember ever liking getting up before the clock showed double digit numbers as a child.

He kept glancing at the TV, not understanding what was going on or what the colourful characters were up to at all, but Ellie seemed to follow whatever plot there was easily. At least Gabriel was a little bit right in regards to waking up early, as Ellie kept stifling a yawn.

“Is daddy at work?” she asked after a while, in what Gabriel assumed was the cartoon’s break. It was hard to tell, everything was equally colourful and had the same cheerful music.

“Na, he’s sleeping.”

Ellie nodded and returned her attention to the TV while Gabriel angled his mug so she wouldn’t see him trying to lick up the last remaining whipped cream. Then she turned again.

“Can I sleep in your bed for a bit?” she asked.

Gabriel put his mug down, shaking his head.

“See, usually I’d say yes, but your daddy has been working really hard these past weeks and really needs to sleep for a while. I don’t want him to wake up.”

“I won’t, I’ll be extra quiet,” Ellie immediately blurted out. “I don’t want to bounce on the bed or anything either! Promise!”

Gabriel shrugged at that.

“Fine, but if you wake him up there won’t be any extra scoops of ice creams for dessert later.”

That threat seemed to go unnoticed, as Ellie quickly jumped over the back of the couch and ran towards her parents’ bedroom. Gabriel sighed, waited for a few seconds, and then got up to follow her.

Jack hadn’t woken up at all from the brief commotion of the bed dipping and Ellie slipping under the covers of Gabriel’s side of the bed. She snuggled up, looked around, and then up at Gabriel.

“Can we have breakfast in bed?” she whispered, mindful of Jack’s sleep, though he hadn’t even stirred.

“Is this why you wanted to sneak into our bed? To get that and have breakfast with the family at the same time?”

Ellie gazed up at him with puppy eyes, and Gabriel tried to think of a good reason not to. Jack would probably sleep for a while, but he hadn’t gotten the chance to sit down and eat a big meal in nearly as long as he hadn’t slept properly. Eating in bed inevitably would lead to crumbs and stains all over the sheets that had only been washed last day, but Gabriel supposed he could stuff them in with the remaining laundry anyway.

“Sure, I’ll take care of it,” he agreed, letting Ellie bounce briefly and let out a soundless victory cry, fists up in the air.

Leaving the two behind Gabriel returned to the kitchen, trying to come up with something that would please both Ellie and Jack but wouldn’t be too hard to make. Usually it was Jack who prepared breakfast in bed, if they had some, with waffles, pancakes, and sometimes even muffins, along with fruit he’d feed to Gabe in between bites. Nothing could compare to those, so Gabriel dismissed that idea immediately.

There were eggs in the fridge, though, as well as packages of ready-made dough. All stuff Gabriel knew he wouldn’t mess up too badly. He got out several pans and a baking sheet, setting to work.

The scrambled eggs were the easiest part, something he’d made tons of when he was stationed somewhere and needed a quick filling breakfast. Gabriel used up an entire large carton of them to make the stuff, knowing how easily Jack scarfed them down even if he wasn’t starving. Next came the French toast, which was a little bit more difficult. Gabriel took a while to find the cinnamon, causing him to burn the toast a little. It was still good though. The cinnamon rolls were mostly made from pre-made ingredients, but Gabriel combined everything with as much love as he could, so that was good enough.

Once everything was assembled onto plates, orange juice was found, and a few strawberries from the fridge thrown on top to round it all off, Gabriel felt pretty accomplished. This wasn’t the sort of romantic gesture he usually did, as it was rare for Jack to be in bed for long enough to even try cooking him a meal for him.

Adding a bottle of maple syrup for Ellie onto the tray, he gently picked it up and made his way to the bedroom. As Gabriel pushed the door open with his butt he noticed that Ellie had fallen asleep, snuggled so deep into the covers that only the top of her head was visible. Jack was just blinking blearily, glancing at his daughter in surprise and then up as Gabriel approached.

“You made breakfast?” he asked, voice slurred from sleep.

“Extra special Reyes breakfast,” Gabriel said proudly as he gently set down the tray on the bed and leaned over to kiss Jack softly. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Jack hummed and leaned into the kiss, chasing Gabriel’s lips for more when he pulled away again. He let out a disappointed whine when Gabriel was out of range.

“Come on,” Gabriel laughed at his pout. “The food’s gonna get cold.”

“Mmh, food?”

Ellie’s face appeared from beneath her nest of blankets. The second her eyes landed on the tray of breakfast items she crawled out fully, letting out an excited whoop, nearly overturning it in the process.

“Thanks papa!” she called out, already reaching for the French toast and the bottle of maple syrup.

“Yeah, thanks Gabe,” Jack added as he sat up properly. Gabriel joined the two on the bed, leaning in to give Jack another well deserved kiss despite the way Ellie stuck out her tongue in mock disgust.

“Let's dig in and see how I did,” Gabriel told Jack, already reaching for a fork and pointedly giving Ellie one as well so she wouldn’t get her hands dirty before touching the bed sheets again.

There was only one plate for each dish, with enough to share among three people. As expected Jack dug into the eggs immediately, shovelling them into his mouth like he would never be allowed to eat again after leaving the bed. Gabriel briefly left the bed to bring a bottle of orange juice to keep pouring everyone some, and decided against scolding Ellie for using up half a bottle of syrup and sticking to the sweet parts of the breakfast. Teaching her how to cook and eat healthy was Mr Grew Up On a Farm’s job anyway, and he wasn’t saying anything about balanced breakfast right now either.

“Can we go skating today?” Ellie asked as she licked off a few crumbs from her fingers. “Just down to the park, we haven’t gone in a while.”

Gabriel glanced at Jack, who was still chewing but shrugged and nodded.

“Sure!” he said, turning back to Ellie. “We don’t have anything to do all day. How about we drive to the lake and you can show us how fast you can go. And then we can all have ice cream at some café.”

Ellie nodded so hard at that her braids bounced.

“Yes!”

“Great, then go get ready once you finished eat-“

Like a bullet Ellie jumped off the bed and was already out the door, leaving her parents behind.

“Someone’s overly excited,” Gabriel said with a laugh, and leaned back against the pillows.

“Honestly, I am too. I can’t remember the last time I got to just do something with you two for an entire day,” Jack sighed, putting the tray on the nightstand. “Come on, let's clean up.”

Gabriel grabbed Jack’s shirt, tugging him back so he could grab the back of his neck and guide him down for a kiss. Jack braced himself against the bed as he leaned over him, chests pressed together as they kissed softly, unhurriedly. Nobody had to run off anywhere, there was no urgent situation pulling their attention.

“Come on,” Jack laughed after a while, barely pulling away enough to speak as Gabriel kissed along his cheek instead. “We have to get up.”

“I made breakfast, now I want to make out with my husband for a bit,” Gabriel replied without letting go.

Finally Jack stopped going along with his constant slow kisses, tapping Gabriel’s chest until he was released.

“We can resume this later,” he promised when Gabriel wouldn’t stop pouting.

“Daddy, can you braid my hair?” came a shout from somewhere down the hallway.

“Come on, I’ll go save Ellie’s hair and you get dressed in something for a nice day out.”

Jack climbed off the bed and was out of the room, leaving Gabriel to sigh and roll out off bed as well. If somebody had told him that at any point he’d actually be happy about not snogging Jack all day and instead looked forward to a day in the park in the company of a child, he’d have laughed at their face.

Amazing how things could change.

 

*

The blistering heat of the New Mexico sun made Gabriel want to be anywhere but here, despite the air conditioning actually working. The operation’s temporary headquarters were downright luxurious compared to the outside, and only few agents were still out in the field.

“Team four just found another hidden bunker,” Gabriel commented after a glance on his communicator.

Behind him Jack let out an angry huff. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and dressed down from his heavy armour and blue duster, eyes fixed on the screens of their control room. They were alone currently, with several Overwatch agents following Jack’s orders of detaining every Deadlock gang member they’d arrested in their final raid of the long and drawn out process of cracking down on them. As they did so, it was Blackwatch agents carefully sweeping the surrounding area for nasty little surprises, explosives, and weapon stashes.

“How many is that now?”

Gabriel counted the messages quickly.

“That’s number seventeen right there. And we’re not even done.”

Again Jack cursed, his hand rubbing at his ribs absentmindedly. He had gotten shot by some kid a few days ago, during the main raid at Deadlock’s headquarters. The kid had tried to ensure his buddy’s escape, being left behind though all of them got caught in the end. If Jack hadn’t worn armour and had extremely good reflexes he might not have gotten away with just a bullet grazing his side. Gabriel already planned to go talk to that kid one on one, down in the temporary cells for the gang members.

“It really does look like every other house in town has some connection to Deadlock,” Gabriel said, leaning back in his chair and fiddling with his pen. He wasn’t taking any notes, since nothing he hadn’t at least guessed at had been found yet.

Jack frowned, stepping closer to look at the screens more carefully. There was a feed to several sections of the temporary base, the cells, some of the teams working on clearing out the main hideout.

“And you said some of the weapon’s definitely were produced in recent years? Nothing Omnic Crisis era?”

Deadlock had risen to take control of large chunks of the southern USA in the aftermath of the Omnic Crisis in the areas that had been most devastated by the first wave of attacks. Their chokehold on the area had made it impossible to start reparations or offer proper aid for years, with the Deadlock gang being one of the most efficient local crime lords that had risen all over the world. It had taken years for Overwatch to chip away at their power and now break them once and for all in this final strike.

Their equipment had been massive, but their influence was extremely localized. They shouldn’t have been able to import large quantities of gear from somewhere else in the country, especially not after nearly an entire decade had passed since the Crisis. So far Blackwatch agents were uncovering way too much evidence on Deadlock having managed to trade on a large scale after all.

“From what little I’ve seen personally, yes,” Gabriel said, tapping his notebook. “I’ll have to take a closer look once everything’s done, but if I had to guess, I’d say that Deadlock’s ability to keep such a strong presence in the area was solely thanks to some outside friend of theirs. Might be the US government could have fixed the situation here without our help if Deadlock didn’t have that source of weapons.”

Jack jaw twitched as he grit his teeth. His hands clenched in a way that Gabriel knew was an urge to grab his rifle and do something.

“Hey,” he said softly, reaching out to take Jack’s hand in his. “I will set my best people on this the second we’re done here. You know I’ll figure out what’s behind this.”

“I just can’t believe this is still happening. I’m sick of having to beat down these local gangs, and now we find out these bastards had outside help?”

Jack tried to gesture angrily, but Gabriel wouldn’t let go of his hand. Once Jack got going he’d rant until he absolutely had to compose himself or once he felt better. The heat, the drawn out mission, and being shot at and confided to ‘taking it easy’ had all taken their toll on him, and Gabriel could see his frustration rising.

“Let me talk to some of the wannabe gangsters when they’re done marinating in their cells,” Gabriel suggested, turning back to their surveillance feeds. “I’m sure there’ll be at least a handful who are willing to spill some secrets or cooperate with us. Not everyone in Deadlock joined out of some conviction, quite a few probably just wanted to be part of the group to not be targeted.”

With a quiet sigh Jack squeezed Gabriel’s hand and nodded.

“Make sure to let them know how bad of an idea it’d be to try and keep something from you,” he said quietly, still frowning.

“They’ll talk if they have any self preservation left.”

They stared at the screens for a while, watching their agents work or go through boxes of stuff they’d carried from Deadlocks’s main warehouses. Occasionally Gabriel would get a notification on his communicator, and he’d point it out to Jack, but there was no need to talk it through yet. Once every available piece of information was actually assembled they would talk it through and decide on a new course of action.

Eventually Jack’s own communicator went off, and he checked it briefly.

“You’ve got an interrogation room ready for you. Call whatever agents you need to help you out there, and call me if you feel I need to be present.”

Gabriel stretched contentedly and got up out of his chair.

“I’ll keep you updated in between gangsters,” he said as he walked out the door.

Mentally Gabriel went through the captured gang members that had given him the impression of possibly being someone who could offer good information. There were several who probably would jump on a chance of getting their sentence reduced or paying back somebody within their own ranks they’d had issues with. Whether out of fear or out of ambition, Gabriel would find somebody to talk, somebody to bring him closer to finding out what exactly the source for Jack’s current source of stress was. Once he had that information he would be able to hunt down the ones who were responsible for the years of Deadlock’s grip on the southern states.

It was hard to hide the wicked grin that spread across Gabriel’s face at the thought of destroying the one who was behind all of this bullshit. Time to strike some fear into the hearts of criminals.

 

*

 

Less than two weeks in goold old Europe and Jesse was entirely sick of it. Not that he had seen much of it in truth, being confined to the base and the barracks for as long as his basic training lasted. Everything was green and full of trees though, and while there was no sand and no canyons, the mountains in the distance just looked wrong as well.

He wandered the corridors near aimlessly, not sure where to go but memorizing the hallways nevertheless. It couldn’t hurt to be familiar with was both his new home and his new workplace. Nobody was around, as it was still early in the day, and most Blackwatch agents were probably asleep or out on some morning run.

Seeing as Jesse had been confined to the recruits’ barracks and their company he wasn’t entirely sure about the actual daily life on the base yet. It would take some time to be fully familiar with how much time he was spending being chased around and tested in obstacle courses or forced to study for some bullshit exams he was sure were designed to mock him, not to make a better black ops agent out of him.

Sure, Deadlock had been busted in the end, but they had done well for themselves without being made to sit through dry theory classes.

Truly, Jesse should like it here. It was cooler than in the desert, even when they were being chased around a track field at noon. The food tasted weird and unfamiliar but was undoubtedly freshly made, well cooked, and had no trace of mystery meat. The beds in the communal barracks weren’t the pinnacle of comfort, but Jesse was used to sleeping near others and they were reasonably soft with clean sheets and a bedside table that actually had a lock. There were showers and medical attention and whenever he wanted, no tyring lookouts, no dickmeasuring contests within a gang…

And yet…

Jesse was grateful for the offer of joining up with Overwatch. Reyes was strange, so obviously hiding a dangerously sharp mind and a ruthlessness under his easygoing smiles and the outstretched hand. He could respect his new commander, might even come to like the guy. For now Jesse was still a bit intimidated by having to live up to whatever the Crisis veteran had seen in him.

It didn’t help that everything was so unlike Deadlock in ways that had been a comfort.

Jesse was sure that he was the youngest recruit, and he really felt it though he knew that some of the others were less than a year older. But everyone else had been with Blackwatch for much longer. They were in better shape when it came to the exams, more disciplined, more familiar with how things went.

There wasn’t any outright animosity, but Jesse wasn’t stupid enough to miss how they were glancing at him, either with suspicion or with pity. He was the runt of the group, still not properly done bulking up, his hair shaggy as he had refused to have it cut, his beard just starting to grow in and patchy at that.

They all knew that he was that kid Reyes had picked up in Deadlock Gorge.

An enemy, an outsider, a mistake… whatever it was they saw Jesse McCree as, it wasn’t as a recruit.

It might perhaps be easier if he let somebody help him get a decent hairstyle and if he ditched his hat, but there just was no way in hell Jesse would stop wearing what he was used to for a chance to stand out less. No, better to suffer the annoyance and the bad mood of the entire combined situation with his style intact.

Jesse walked along, his mood dark and muscles sore from the previous’ day training. Not only was he barely scraping by to keep up right now, but he also very obviously was out of breath and exhausted, for everyone to witness.

There were some various rec rooms where he walked by, some for eating and leisure times, others with TVs. He had walked along there occasionally, following Reyes back and forth from his office and never getting the chance to stop and explore. His Commander had a quick pace when he had places to be.

He stopped by one of those rooms, staring at the switched off TV. He hadn’t really gotten to just watch any in longer than he could remember, besides some movie nights where yelling at each other and having a drink had been more in focus than whatever they had watched. Jesse wasn’t sure whether he wanted to try it, or whether it would even help him get his thoughts off the previous day.

Jesse was about to enter, when he realized that the room wasn’t as empty as he thought it was. A girl was sitting on the comfortable looking couch, swinging her legs and staring at him curiously. She couldn’t be older than ten, though Jesse was bad at guessing ages, and was wearing a pink dress with grey leggings and a grey hoodie with plastic ties in her braids. She very much did not look like she was supposed to be inside a black ops base.

“Uh-” he started lamely.

“Are you a real cowboy?” the girl asked, jumping off the couch and approaching him, making Jesse take a step back instinctively. It was rare that he had talked to children at all, and he was still completely caught off guard.

“Sure am,” he said slowly, glancing around to see if there was a parent or guardian around. Had some agent maybe decided to take their kid to work?

The girl’s eyes shone.

“Cool! Do you have a horse? I always wanted one, and daddy grew up near horses but I never got to!”

“A horse?”

“Yeah, all cowboys have to have a horse! Daddy wasn’t a cowboy, but he had horses anyway, so not everyone who has a horse needs one. But cowboys do. I know, cause we sometimes watch those really old Westerns.”

Jesse cocked his eyebrow, unsure what to reply. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with a child who obviously wasn’t shy about randomly chatting to strangers.

“Are you new here?” she asked, making Jesse wince.

Even kids could tell.

“Yeah,” he said again, trying to figure out how to get away without being rude to a little girl.

“Cool! I’m Ellie,” the girl said, waving even though she was standing right in front of him. “I never saw other kids in this part of the base.”

“The name’s McCree,” Jesse answered her, now definitely annoyed at the girl. To have a girl who certainly would have seen other agents before lump him in with other children grated at him. As if didn’t have enough of that already.

“And I’ve got to go. You better stay here so you don’t get lost-”

“I am allowed to walk around the base wherever I want,” Ellie said with a shrug, and to Jesse’s horror she started following him the second he attempted to make a getaway.

“So if you are a cowboy, are you just like in those old movies?” she asked, happily skipping along even as Jesse tried to pick up his pace without breaking into a jog. “I’ve never seen one besides those, but daddy did say that they were a thing in America. I was born there, but we don’t visit very often cause daddy’s work is here.”

Jesse grit his teeth and hoped that she would get tired if he just didn’t reply and looked sufficiently grumpy. But Ellie didn’t seem to mind, and just chatted on as if it was enough to have an audience.

“I heard there’s a new member from a gang. Is that you? Does that make you a bad guy?”

Jesse glanced back, noticing how Ellie looked at him with utter awe. How was being a bad guy a cool thing to a tiny girl dressed in cute pink things?

God, where was everyone else when he needed them?

Jesse figured that he was near where the highest ranking Blackwatch members mingled, maybe they would be able to take Ellie off his hands and spare him the child.

“Hey, have you ever robbed a train? Some bad guys in those movies did, and that was. So. _Cool_!”

Ellie reached out to tug at Jesse’s shirt in emphasis, which was the last straw.

“Damn, kid, don’t you have anywhere else to be?” Jesse snapped, louder than necessary, turning to face Ellie and tearing his hand away. “Why do you latch on to me like a tick? Go bother someone else!”

It was too harsh and sudden, Jesse realized the second he did it, and unnecessarily rude.

Ellie had flinched back in shock, cheeks flushed and eyes wide. And then her eye were filling with tears, her lip quivering. There was a _reason_ not to yell at little children.

“I didn’t mean to-” she whimpered just as Jesse winced and said “Oh, dang, I’m sorry-”

It was too late, and Ellie sobbed quietly, trying not to, but the floodgates of a child’s crying had opened.

A door slammed open and as Jesse looked up he cursed inwardly. Of course he had found a random kid and made her cry right in front of the Blackwatch Commander’s office.

Reyes stood in the doorway, eyes fixed on the scene before him, shoulders drawn back and an air of anger about him.

Ellie turned around, spotting the Commander. Not the sight a crying child would find comforting, or so Jesse thought. Before he could do anything she turned and was running towards him.

He only had a second to wonder about that, as Ellie clung to Reyes’ waist, with a soft cry of “Papa!”

_Oh shit._

He was so dead.

Reyes sank to his knees, hugging her with a gesture far gentler than Jesse had thought him capable of. He made a soft shushing sound and petted Ellie’s hair.

“What happened, pumpkin?”

“Nothing,” she hiccuped, her tears flowing more freely now that her father was there.

Jesse stood rooted on the spot, fearing for his life more than he had when he had faced Overwatch agents in that bust a few weeks ago, and definitely more than when he had first met Reyes.

“Really?” Reyes asked, eyes burning into Jesse as he held Ellie, his voice sweet as he soothed her but his look murderous.

“I got overly excited,” she said. “Cause of the movies you and daddy watch with me. I wouldn’t stop talking about horses and cowboys without asking if he’s busy.”

Jesse felt a sliver of gratitude to the girl for not pointing her finger and saying that the nasty boy had been mean to her. He wished he hadn’t been so rude to her then, just cause his mood had been at a record low recently.

Reyes paused, and then let out a chuckle.

“You and your dad’s love for old Westerns… Don’t worry pumpkin, Jesse’s probably too hungry to want to talk now. I’m sure if we three have breakfast together he would _love_ to listen to everything you know about horses.”

Ellie wiped at her eyes, looking doubtful.

“Really?” she asked. “But I don’t want to bother him.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on family breakfast time,” Jesse tried to butt in, desperately wanting to get out of the situation before Reyes could figure out how to mess him up for making his precious daughter cry.

And why hadn’t he _known_ that his Commander had a child?!

“Oh no,” Reyes said, easily picking up Ellie and eyes never leaving Jesse’s. “It’s not intrusion if I get somebody else to talk about horses to Ellie all morning. I don’t know too much about them after all.”

Jesse deflated under his stare but smiled as Ellie glanced back at him. So this was his punishment. Be _nice_ to the girl as she talked about things he didn’t know nearly enough about.

Well… It beat getting torn up by an angry father.

 

*

 

Jack was stifling a yawn as he walked into one of the base’s more cosy cafeterias. He could have gotten a full night’s sleep, but the most recent batch of recruits had wanted to celebrate their successful graduation and one of the younger women had mustered the confidence to ask the Strike Commander to join them for a bit.

Who was he to deny a bunch of kids he’d personally helped train?

He had come home late, and woken up late enough for Gabe and Ellie to be out and about already. Ellie’s school was off for the summer, and there were no traces of anyone having prepared breakfast in the kitchen, so Jack had assumed the two had gone to do something together.

When Jack was too busy to hang out, Ellie sometimes got to wander around parts of the base civilians usually had no access to. Everyone knew who the little girl was, everyone was nice to her or knew who to nudge towards her to entertain Ellie if needed. Same with Gabriel’s sections of Blackwatch area. She could have been anywhere, but as luck would have it Ellie was actually having a late breakfast with Gabe after all.

They sat at a smaller table a little bit away from where other agents were having a meal or simply chatting. Ellie was fiddling with the end of her braids, a nervous habit that Jack couldn’t talk her out of. She was looking at a young recruit dressed in a brown flannel shirt and with a cowboy hat on the table next to him, his hair a little long and cut unevenly. Gabriel sat leaned back in his chair, coffee mug in hand and looking at ease, though even at the distance Jack could see that he was watching the younger man.

“Morning you two. Recruit,” Jack said as he approached the table.

Gabriel gave him a lazy wave as Ellie perked up, turning on her chair to grin at him.

“Good morning, daddy,” she replied. “We didn’t want to wake you up when we left.”

The recruit mumbled a greeting though he seemed quite startled and tense at Jack’s presence. His eyes were fixed on a spot on the table, and Jack decided to ignore that for now. There were quite a few younger agents who were nervous around him, or too starstruck to know what to do. This one looked young enough to have grown up in the years just after the Omnic Crisis, always knowing Jack Morrison to be part of the team that saved the world.

“That’s alright, pumpkin,” he told Ellie as he patted her head briefly. “I see you’re done with breakfast already.”

There were some empty plates in front of the group, so Jack supposed he could have some food later.

“Always could use some more,” Gabriel piped in, getting up. “Come on, let's go get you something to eat, babe. You two, behave.”

The young recruit looked slightly more on edge than before, but Gabriel quickly led Jack away from the table and towards the coffee maker. Jack spared a brief glance at Ellie, who looked a little apprehensive at being left alone, but if Gabriel felt comfortable having her around that agent it was probably all right.

“Who’s that then?” Jack asked as Gabriel got three mugs from the tray next to the coffee maker and set out to make drinks.

“Jesse McCree. You know, the Deadlock kid with the great aim and bad decisions about what to aim at?”

Jack had to do a double take at that, staring back towards the table. The agent was currently bent over something, talking and Ellie watching him with her full attention. He wouldn’t have recognized him at all.

“Really? A good night’s sleep and some new clothes do transform any old gangster it seems.”

“He’s a riot,” Gabriel said with a grin and handed Jack a mug full of coffee before taking another to make hot chocolate. “Keeps telling everyone stories about the ranch he grew up on. Or farm if you listen long enough. He’s got some pent up rage issues though, so I’m making him play nice in the presence of his commander’s daughter. Jesse’s got manners, but he’s gotta use them, too.”

“A ranch? Really?”

“You’re the farm boy, you listen and tell me if he’s full of shit.”

Jack snorted and shook his head.

“Why are you taking this recruit in particular under your wing? Didn’t you say he already gave us every piece of information about Deadlock he had?”

Gabe gave him a one-shoulder shrug.

“He’s never been part of the inner circle, too young and all that. But he’s got a brain in his head and some inside knowledge that could help in the future. With some training he’d be the perfect assistant to help me crack down on his former suppliers.”

They moved on to the food, Gabriel carrying all three mugs and shaking his head when asked whether he wanted more to eat. Jack quickly assembled a plate full of scrambled eggs and fried sausages, before following Gabriel back to the table.

Jesse was just finishing up folding something that was blocked from view by his body.

“There you go little lady,” he said with a thick southern drawl as he handed Ellie the thing. “I had one just like that when I was your age.”

Jack sat down just in time to see Ellie snatch up what Jesse had offered her. It was what looked like an origami horse, slightly crooked and a little wobbly as it had been made from a napkin, but still enough to put a big smile on the girl’s face.

“Can you teach me how to make those?” she asked as she turned the horse around in her hands like it was the most amazing display of arts and crafts she’d ever seen.

“Sure, I’ll teach you when we have some proper paper. Much prettier that way,” Jesse promised. He had tensed up when Gabriel approached to set two mugs of hot chocolate on the table, but still focused on Ellie without glancing up at the commanders.

“You two having fun?” Gabriel asked, picking his abandoned coffee mug back up.

Jesse glanced at Ellie who nodded, eyes still on the horse.

“Jesse told me he had a horse once,” she said, looking up at Jack. “I wish grandpa still had horses on his farm, I’ve never seen one up close!”

“I’m sure we can find you some horses to try riding on around here,” Jack told her with a smile, before digging into his food.

“Could I try?” Ellie asked, now turning to Gabriel who grinned at Jesse.

“Why not. Jesse over here can show you his moves on those gallant beasts.”

“Now listen, I’ve never claimed to be much of a teacher-“ Jesse piped up.

“Papa always says you’ve only mastered a skill when you can teach someone else,” Ellie interrupted him, and Jack noticed the way Jesse’s smile twitched. That kid would have to learn how to properly spin a lie and follow through if he was going to be part of Blackwatch.

“Then it’s settled,” Gabriel threw in. “Next weekend I’ll take you somewhere they teach horse riding so you can try and, and Jesse can come along to help me out with that.”

“Ah, come on boss,” Jesse said with a laugh and a glance at Jack. “This should be a family event, right?”

“Jack will be in Seoul at the time. You’d be the perfect addition.”

There was a mischievous glint in Gabriel’s eyes as he stared at his newest recruit, and Jack busied himself with his food to hide his smile and be able to drop out of the conversation under the pretence of having his mouth full.

“Don’t worry,” Ellie said, after finally letting go of the origami horse to take her hot chocolate. She smiled up at Jesse brilliantly. “We can learn together.”

Jesse opened his mouth, and Jack could practically see him desperately trying to decide between sticking to his story and being nice to the little girl.

“Sure thing,” he finally said and smiled back at Ellie. “I’d be an honour.”

Jack glanced between the two and then at Gabriel, briefly wondering whether he could cancel his travel plans just so he would be able to witness whatever might happen with the horses. Alas, international security was more important than seeing a teenager try to impress a little girl when large animals were involved.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack was half asleep when Gabriel waltzed into his office, looking around briefly and then making a beeline towards the couch.

“You’re not busy I see,” he said, crossing his arms and already wearing the expression Jack knew meant his husband wanted something from him.

“I’m trying to nap before the next conference call,” Jack muttered, trying to slip further down the armrest and back into sweet oblivion of sleep, but Gabriel wasn’t going anywhere.

“Yeah? Well I’ve got some information about some illegal weapon sales for you.”

That did get Jack’s attention and he looked up to see Gabriel pull out a notebook. He usually wrote on paper when he needed to gather his thoughts and wasn’t ready to put them in any kind of official format. Harder to steal or hack into if it was all on paper and under Gabriel’s watchful eye. 

Brand new information then.

“Really? Do tell.”

Gabriel pulled out his pad and turned it to show Jack the picture of a man in his mid 40s, hair slicked back and wearing a suit. He didn’t look much different from countless politicians and businessmen Jack had dealt with in the past decade.

“Erwin Montgomery, one of the leading chairmen of the American Continental Railways. Happens to be one of the big fish in that company and also head of the security division.”

Jack listened quietly as Gabriel switched the device over to display a map of the US with the railroads as well as a few red dots that Jack recognized as former Deadlock strongholds and a few more.

“I have reason to believe that Montgomery is the one selling or at least moving various illegal cargo through his trains,” Gabriel went on, waving his notebook. “I compared all national train companies, especially the ones that share tracks with Continental Railways. With Deadlock alone I can show you how the origin and destination of at least eighty-three percent of heavy weaponry lies along the lines of tracks used exclusively by these trains.”

“So somebody is using trains to smuggle, what does Montgomery have to do with it?” Jack asked. “And why him and not someone else?”

Gabriel tapped his notebook again.

“Because he’s too clean. He was taking steps to distance himself from any potential involvement with any of the shipments I could narrow down. With everyone else you can expect random occurrences of being connected to specific timings of smuggled ware, but he’s the only one at that level who is completely free of it. And it’s subtle, if anything were to be found it’d be easy for him to not only deflect any suspicion, but he’s also free of blame as far as lax security goes. Poor man can’t have his eyes everywhere at once after all.”

Jack hummed in thought.

“I see. Do you have evidence to prove this theory?”

Gabriel didn’t look up from his notebook at that.

“Nothing but my own experience with these types of criminals. He is taking steps to distance himself over the chain of command.”

Jack stared at Gabriel for several seconds, until his husband finally looked up as well.

“So this is why I came here. I need more resources to infiltrate the Continental Railways offices and gather intelligence on all of Montgomery’s possible connections to arms dealers. That and I want to question him.”

Jack stared at him for a little while longer before turning back to sink deeper into his couch instead.

“No.”

Gabriel opened his mouth, closed it, and stared.

“Why not?”

“I’ll give you resources for that kind of thing when you have actual evidence,” Jack replied, already closing your eyes. “We can’t go interrogating major businessmen because you have a feeling they’re up to something. You’d be investigating every single one of them soon enough.”

“Jack, come on, you know I’m right on this.”

“I know you’re right on many things,” Jack said with a sigh. He increasingly wanted to go back to sleep rather than listening to Gabriel talk about work. 

“Still, not all of your calls are something we as Overwatch can do. We’re an international organisation, we can’t intervene in national matters when there’s no emergency, and we can’t investigate public figures or businessmen on a whim. Nobody would trust us anymore if it came to that, they’d all hide their dirty laundry deeper than we’d ever get the permission to sweep in if we actually do need to.”

“Come on, Jack, it’s not like I’m asking you for stuff like that much.”

Jack cracked open an eye and glared up with a grown.

“Then what about the Korea business.”

“What about it?”

“You kept insisting that they’d be best served with an Overwatch strike force during our last internal meeting.”

Gabriel scoffed.

“It’s because we’re the best equipped for dealing with that Leviathan Omnic of theirs, and we have members of the most successful group of the Omnic Crisis in our ranks. We could deal with it.”

“That’s not your call to make. The plans for Project Meka are going just fine. If they want help, they’ll ask for it.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes but didn’t push the matter, for which Jack was grateful. These were old arguments, and he preferred to drop it rather than have the same one over and over again. It got them nowhere and just put both of them in a bad mood.

“You get me evidence or a good reason besides your intuition, and I’ll get you whatever you need,” Jack conceded.

He heard Gabriel sigh and then the rustle of paper. Gabriel walked around the room for a few moments, before a warm blanket was placed on top of Jack.

“Alright, go have your beauty sleep, old man. I’ll find you some evidence.”

“You’re older than me!” Jack shot back, but Gabriel’s laughter was already outside his office as the door shut behind him.

 

*

 

The squeak of trainers against the hall’s rubber floor reached Gabriel all the way across the field, as wide as three football fields. He watched as the two girls ran as fast as they could, sidestepping and taking quick turns to run from one obstacle to the next in the order he had arranged for them. It wasn’t too hard a thing, perhaps more advanced than gym classes at either of their schools. Still well within the realm of fun for children who had enjoyed the perks of getting access to all sorts of sports equipment from an early age. 

Soon enough they both were done, and Fareeha was racing towards him, face set in determination, as Ellie shot after her. 

At fifteen Fareeha was a force to be reckoned with, strong, fast, and proficient with weapons, military equipment, and all sorts of martial arts. For somebody whose mother spoke of how she should do literally anything but join Overwatch or anything like it for that matter, she sure was set on acquiring any skill necessary for such a career. 

Ellie was keeping up easily, despite the four years of difference in their ages. She had taken just a moment longer to jump over a buck, and now the distance between them was growing smaller and smaller with each of her quick steps. 

They both came to a skidding halt right in front of Gabriel, both breathing hard and Fareeha’s cheeks flushed from the exertion. 

“Well done,” Gabriel praised them, clapping in approval. “Fareeha, you’ve gotten much better at picking up speed again after having to interrupt your run. Ellie, I really see how much you’ve improved in climbing and jumping over things. Good job!”

“It’s cause I’ve grown!” Ellie proclaimed, bouncing up on her toes briefly. 

Fareeha nudged her arm playfully, throwing her off balance. 

“Yeah, if you check under a microscope!”

Recently the girls had started to bicker about who would be the taller one when they were all grown up each time they saw each other. Fareeha seemed adamant on always remaining the tall one of the pair, while Ellie pointed to her fathers to prove how she had a better chance at inheriting their frame, as neither Sam nor Ana were anywhere close to being six foot tall. 

“You’ll get better at these things even if you stop growing,” Gabe assured Ellie before she could come up with something to throw at Fareeha for that. “Go grab your water and snacks and I’ll get the basketball.”

And with that both girls were off, running towards their refreshments. 

Gabriel watched them as he grabbed a ball and drummed his fingers against it, waiting. While Fareeha didn’t look exhausted by any means, it was still obvious to him that Ellie was just a little bit more energetic. To anyone who didn’t know those two, it would go unnoticed. 

But Gabriel knew exactly how much Fareeha loved sports, and how much time she spent training, and how Ellie wasn’t even close to doing so. Yet she kept up with the older girl, and had enough energy left at the end of the day to not complain about feeling sore or tired. 

It was subtle enough that one might wave it off as her just being young and full of the boundless childhood energy. To Gabriel, it was proof that some of the enhanced and messed with genetics he and Jack had carried out of SEP had made it to their daughter. She had the potential to be as strong as her parents, perhaps. Even without the rigorous training they had gone through, Ellie had more stamina and strength than an average child should. 

Without tests it would be hard to tell, of course, and he and Jack had briefly discussed whether they might have some of Overwatch’s scientists and doctors test just how much of their own enhancements had carried over. They had dismissed the thought quickly, not wanting Ellie to go through unnecessary tests and worrying that somebody might hear and want to research her unique cocktail of manipulated genes. 

“Papi, I bet you I can take you down in five hits!”

Gabriel turned to see Ellie already done with her drink, bouncing lightly on her feet, ready to dart in any direction. She raised her fists playfully when she had her father’s attention, challenging him immediately. 

He grinned, and threw the ball towards Fareeha, who caught it easily. 

“Come on then, give it your best shot!”

Immediately Ellie was running towards him, at full speed within a split second. She wasn’t nearly as fast as Gabriel, of course, but he had trained her well. 

The first hit was a well aimed fist to his solar plexus, which Gabriel blocked with ease. The next was a kick at his shin, followed by another hit towards his ribs. They were good blows, aimed at tender areas within Ellie’s reach and with more force than a child her age should be able to muster. It was good enough to take out somebody who didn’t expect a child to do more than slap aimlessly, and might be good enough to take on an adult. 

Ellie’s hits were a good effort, surprising moves to an untrained opponent and just what Gabriel had taught her, so he allowed the last three to connect. When she hit his ribs he stumbled back, letting out a pained gasp, and then rolled backwards with feigned clumsiness until his back hit the ground. 

Above him Ellie let out a whoop of victory, and before Gabriel had time to turn his head and check where she was, a blur of little girl was already flying into his field of vision. She leapt on him, elbow first. The hit forced out the air from his lungs, and Gabriel had to gasp in pain for real. 

“Enough, enough pumpkin,” he wheezed, hitting the floor with his palm. “You’ve killed me. The Omnics couldn’t get me but my own daughter finished the job.”

Ellie was giggling now, remaining on top of her father regardless of how out of breath her jump had made him. 

“See! I got you!”

“You sure did!” Gabriel reached up to dig his fingers into Ellie’s sides where he knew she was ticklish. 

“Not fair!” she cried out, trying to wiggle away and barely able to speak through her laughter. “I won, you’re defeated!”

“Ah, but I’m playing dirty!”

Ellie wiggled and slapped at Gabriel’s hands uselessly, choking on her laughter. She was saved when something hit Gabriel’s head, bouncing off. 

“Ow,” he hissed out, craning his neck to see Fareeha stand above him, the ball she’d tossed at his head still in her hands. 

“What was that for?”

“You said we’ll go play against you,” she stated. “It’s cheating if you tickle my team mate to death.”

She balanced the ball between her fingertips as if she was about drop it on Gabriel’s head again, so he raised his hands in defeat. 

“It’s also cheating if you bludgeon your opponent to death before the match.”

Fareeha shrugged and tucked the ball under her arm to help a still giggling Ellie get on her feet. 

Gabriel bounced up easily, flexing as he took his position by the net. 

“Hit me with all you’ve got then, I won’t go easy on you.”

There was a glint in Fareeha’s eyes, fully accepting the challenge. 

“I don’t expect you to!”

And Gabriel really didn’t go easy on her. While he had been the one to teach Fareeha how to play to begin with, she quickly showed more skill than Gabriel ever did. Only her size was a hindrance to her, but what Fareeha lacked in height she made up for in determination. 

Gabriel did his best to hold his ground against Fareeha, using all of his speed and stature to block her from getting a good throw in, taking the ball off her whenever he could and speeding off to the girls’ net. With Ellie on her team Fareeha was more than an even match. While Ellie was less skilled at basketball, she was fast, not even getting out of breath as she sped around her father with ease and allowed Fareeha to get in a position that let her get a good shot in. 

She was very much like Jack that way, surprisingly fast and a vicious force when she chose to tackle Gabriel. Thankfully Fareeha had made her promise to play by the rules, to make the satisfaction of beating their master at his own game even sweeter. 

It was a close game, the girls only one point ahead, when one of the doors to the hall opened and Ana stepped through, still mostly dressed in her official uniform, though she had shed the armour pieces. 

“You’re still at it?” she asked, when she spotted the three. 

Fareeha gave her a wave and stopped the game by tossing the ball towards where Gabriel had stashed everyone’s gym bags. 

“Do we have to go already?” she asked, and Ana nodded. 

“If you want enough time to take a shower and get dressed before the grill party, yes.”

Gabriel grabbed his towel to wipe the sweat from his brow and walked over to Ana as the girls took another drink and kicked off their trainers to follow him. 

“Didn’t realize it was this late.”

“Sure,” she said, raising her eyebrow with a smirk. “That’s why I’m here to remind you of the time. You’d be upset if you ended up being late and not getting to offer Jack help in preparing the food.”

“Very thoughtful of you,” Gabriel grinned, slapping Ana’s shoulder playfully. 

While Jack enjoyed cooking food for parties, this one would include a good chunk of Overwatch agents and their family members. He would appreciate Gabriel offering his assistance with such a quantity of things to prepare. 

The two watched Fareeha and Ellie race ahead to get dressed. 

“Sometimes I wish I had your job,” Ana said, sighing. “You get to goof around while we’re stuck in a meeting all morning.”

“I’ve got things to do as well,” Gabriel reminded her, shrugging. 

“You specifically took the day off to hang out with the girls.”

“Because it doesn’t matter what time of day I get my reports done, Jack doesn’t care as long as we’re efficient in what we do.”

Ana frowned. 

“Just because none of what you do is official you shouldn’t break official schedules.”

Gabriel laughed and followed in the direction the girls had disappeared to. 

“Tell Jack about it, if this is such an issue, he’s my boss after all. You know I do my work well.”

“Nobody is doubting that,” Ana sighed, walking behind him. “But honestly, you’re taking advantage of Jack’s position for all of this.”

She glanced up, noticing the leer, and scoffed. 

“And get your mind out of the gutter!”

Ana walked past him quickly, but not quick enough to hide her own smirk. They had never grown out of teasing each other about relationships and dumb jokes. It was still just as easy as during the Crisis, though now Gabe’s old team tried to pretend like they had grown up. 

As if that was ever gonna happen.

 

*

 

The sun shone bright and hot down onto the grass, though the breeze made it comfortable enough. Jesse had his hat pulled into his face, relaxing against the bench by the small picnic table and waiting for his nails to dry. 

It was early summer, meaning that both Ellie and Fareeha were busy preparing for the final exams of the school year all day. Angela had a less firm schedule regarding her studies, and had decided that the day was lovely enough that both teeangers needed a break from their work. So they had packed a small basket of sandwiches and drinks, as well as some new nail polish the young doctor had bought on her last trip to Geneva. 

That, somehow, had been the final argument needed to convince the girls to go. It was special, Jesse had to admit, dull blue when in the bottle, but filled with tiny electric sensors that lit up and shone when warmed up by body heat. It looked quite nice on his own nails as well, as he had volunteered to go first. Jesse only felt a little bit bad about having Angie apply the colour to his nails, knowing that it’d probably crack and rub off soon.

He watched as she bowed over Brigitte’s nails, carefully doing her nails as the little girl sipped from her juice box and observed the process. 

“When’s my turn?” Fareeha complained, glaring up from where she was stretched out on the grass. Her and Ellie had grabbed a sandwich and had retreated to the ground, and now that the food was finished, they were starting to get antsy. 

“When Brigitte is done,” Angela told them, not taking her eyes of her work. 

Brigitte had been allowed to join the older girls, given that Angela and Jesse were around. Torbjörn seemed content to let her wander around, when he brought his youngest along to the Overwatch HQ, as long as somebody knew what general direction she had gone to. Her hands were much tinier than anyone else’s, so Jesse figured her nails required more care to get done nicely. 

“If Jesse hadn’t gone first it’d be our turn already,” Ellie complained, stretched out on the grass and her bare feet digging into the soil. 

“Now listen, we all agreed that I need to make sure this is safe first,” Jesse told her, to which he received nothing but a glare and a sticking out tongue. 

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn.”

Ellie kicked in his general direction, too lazy to get up. 

“You’re only here cause papa is busy anyway,” she muttered, quiet enough but the bitterness in her tone still obvious. 

“I’m sure he has some important things to do,” Angela said, finally looking up after finishing up Brigitte’s pinkie. “You know how important-”

“Yeah Angie, I know,” Ellie sighed, finally sitting up to lean her head against Fareeha’s shoulder. She was pouting now, but Jesse knew her well enough to spot the genuine sadness in her expression. “I don’t mind, it’s just-”

She sighed again, shaking her head. 

“I wish I didn’t have to take the exams on time like papa insits. If I were on holidays I could go be with dad for at least a little bit.”

Jesse threw her a sympathetic look. He had been invited to have dinner in the Morrison Reyes household the night before, something that some of the agents that were close to the family got to do occasionally. Ellie had been quiet and had thrown glances at the Strike Commander the entire time, visibly upset though she tried to hide it each time her parents looked at her. 

Jack Morrison would have to leave later that day, to attend a two months long series of conferences and military collaborations in Hawaii. It would be the longest Ellie had ever been apart from her father, along with daily calls being a difficulty given Morrison’s upcoming schedule. Combined with Reyes’ current workload and occasional trips to Australia he would have to take, it left Ellie more cut off from her parents than she’d ever been. 

It was only temporary, and she was old enough to be on her own at thirteen, as well as having her entire honorary family there with her. Still, Jesse figured that having a tight knit family would be an issue for such situations. Ellie was quite good about accepting work responsibilities her parents took on, and was used to Reyes being gone occasionally. This time, it was really getting to her though. 

“At least you’ll get to participate in all the summer school activities,” Fareeha told her. “Getting to study remotely isn’t always that fun.”

Ellie threw her a dirty look, the merits of a classic school attendance against the merits of a remote course like Ana had Fareeha take when necessary had been one of the few points the girls never stopped arguing about. 

“I mean, yeah at least this time I’ll get to be here for summer,” Fareeha quickly added at that. She had asked Ana to remain in the base for her own exams, rather than Cairo like she usually did for studying. That way Ellie had the support of her best friend at least. Though she was close to Jesse by now, and to other agents, most of them would have to leave for a while, and having another teenaged girl nearby was probably a good idea. 

Ellie gave her a small smile at that, and flopped back down into the grass. 

“There, all done,” Angie told Brigitte, setting down her nail polish. “Be careful while it dries.”

Immediately Fareeha jumped to her feet, taking her place across from Angie to have her own nails done. They were as blunt and short as Jesse’s, so she wouldn’t get as much use of it, but she didn’t seem to mind. 

Brigitte hopped down from her spot on the bench, and moved over to Jesse’s to take her place at his side. 

“Do you think this would work on metal?” she asked, showing him her nails. They were already starting to glow in orange and pink. “It would be so cool to put that on my ceiling or on my notebook!”

Jesse rubbed his beard, thinking for a few moments. 

“I’m sure we can do some experiments if you like.”

Brigitte nodded eagerly, her ponytail bouncing up and down. 

“Yeah!”

Jesse grinned, once again wondering how in the hell he had gone from gang member to black ops agent to honorary big brother of way too many young girls. While Brigitte was visiting the Swiss base much less frequently than most of the agents’ family members Jesse was close to, he still had ended up assisting her in her father’s workshop a couple of times. He had enough of an understanding of mechanical stuff that he could be of use to her, even if it was just in lending muscle power to the small child. Soon her Lindholm mind would surpass whatever he knew of motors and metal. 

Ellie squinted at Fareeha for a few moments, then decided against complaining about the order in which everyone got their nails done.

Jesse yawned and leaned back to bask in the sunlight. The grass rustled behind them, and a glance back revealed a young man in the Overwatch pilot uniform walk up to them. He was probably one of the younger recruits, sent to look for one of the girls Jesse was with. 

“Ellie?” he asked once he was within earshot, nodding at everyone else in greeting. 

“Pete! What’s up?” Ellie greeted him, sitting up with a smile. “I thought you had to fly some cargo today?”

Somebody she knew well enough then, Jesse decided, relaxing even more and sprawling in his seat. Some Overwatch agents were a little stuck up, and it was fun to get under their skin occasionally. This one ignored him though. 

“Strike Commander Morrison asked me to fetch you,” Pete told her. “You’re supposed to meet him now, apparently.”

At this Ellie was already scrambling to her feet, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Jesse frowned, throwing a look at the newcomer. 

“Thought the plan was to fly out to the states this afternoon,” Jesse said, watching the pilot carefully. 

He shrugged. 

“Plans change. I’m just supposed to make sure Ellie’s there.”

“I’ll be back later,” Ellie promised. “Got to try and get my nails done after all.”

She waved to the other girls, and then she was already following Pete towards the base at a quick pace. Jesse couldn’t help but stare, chewing his lip thoughtfully. 

He had been there when Morrison had voiced his regret in not being able to spend the day before his departure with Ellie at all, while also insisting that there was no way she could skip school to join him on his trip. That he suddenly would decide that Ellie had to be fetched for whatever reason was strange. 

“I’ve got some stuff do do at the boss’ office,” Jesse said slowly, Ellie and Pete already halfway to the base. “Mind if I leave you three ladies alone?”

Angie looked up with a raised brow. 

“Sure, go ahead,” she said, already returning her attention to Fareeha’s nails. 

Jesse grabbed his gloves and pulled them on, then quickly followed the two. They were gone before he could reach them at his quick pace, but they hadn’t noticed him either. On a hunch Jesse took a turn towards the hangars, where a pilot would most likely hang out at. And sure enough, after a few corridors he spotted Ellie. 

Taking care to stay out of sight he followed behind, straining to hear if they were talking. Barely anyone else was around, apart from a few mechanics who didn’t pay any attention to the two. Ellie looked happy as she walked along Pete, her steps nearly a skip. 

Carefully, to avoid attention, Jesse made his way after them, looking at doors and crates as if he was searching for something, keeping his steps as quiet as he could while hurrying along. He did stick out more than Pete and Ellie, who was known by most of the base at least, but nobody tried to question his presence either. 

“-what about my stuff?” Ellie was saying just as Jesse finally managed to get within earshot without the two noticing him. 

“I’m sure your father has made some arrangements for that,” Pete replied, sounding apologetic. “It’s quite short notice, isn’t it.”

“I’ve never been to that Ocean… have you ever flown that far?”

A chuckle.

“Sure, but this time it’s just a small trip to the meeting place after all.”

Jesse grit his teeth to keep himself from intervening. He reached into his pocket for the holopad and quickly typed a message to his boss.The reply came quickly, this his relief. 

The corridor opened into the hangar, revealing a small Orca ready for take off. It was one of the models used for very short distances, and wasn’t equipped with weapons at least. Pete was walking towards it, with Ellie following along, still chatting on about something. 

Jesse hurried up, nearly running now. The door to the Orca was already open and Ellie was about to take a step inside when Jesse reacher her, coming to a halt just a little in front of her to block her way. 

Ellie looked up with raised brows, and Pete furrowed his brow in annoyance. 

“Can you step aside, we’re kind of late already,” he said, trying to guide Ellie past Jesse. 

He took another step along with them, walking backwards and not letting them leave. Ellie was watching him still, not too bothered by his presence while Pete was cleared slipping into irritation by the second. 

“Reyes wanted to see you in his office,” Jesse drawled, crossing his arms unhurriedly. 

“Now?” Ellie glanced from him to Pete. “But I’m supposed to fly out and meet up with dad. He changed his mind.”

“Yeah, and your pops needs to talk to you,” Jesse shrugged. “You’ll probably get to fly later today then.”

“I had clear instructions about when and where to bring Ellie,” Pete interrupted him, again making an attempt to push Ellie past Jesse. “I’m not going to ignore the Strike Commander’s specific wishes and- What the hell man?”

Jesse put his arm out to lean against the Orca’s door, effectively blocking Pete’s way. Ellie looked uncertain now, staring into the ship’s interior longingly. 

“I guess if papa said-”

“Ellie, we’re already behind schedule,” Pete tried again, some of his cheerful attitude still present. 

“What’s taking you all so long?”

Pete froze, a look of horror briefly crossing his face. Jesse looked over his shoulder and managed to hide a sigh of relief as he saw Reyes stroll into the hangar casually, approaching from one of the out of the way doors that lead towards the Blackwatch part of the base. He must have really hurried. 

“Really Jesse, I told you to send Ellie over and you’re having a chat here?”

Ellie lit up, already turning and running towards him, Pete’s hand sliding off her shoulder uselessly. 

“Sorry papa! There’s probably some confusion cause you and dad keep giving orders without talking to each other.”

“That’s what parents do,” Reyes said, ruffling her hair briefly. “Now go on, wait for me in my office. I’ll join you once I’m done here.”

Without even pausing to question him, Ellie did as he told, and moved on to his part of the base. 

Reyes watched her go, his posture relaxed until she was out of sight and the door had closed behind her. Then he turned, and all of a sudden his eyes were shining with a quiet rage. 

“And you,” he said softly, eyes fixed on the man in the pilot uniform, who’s arms Jesse grabbed just in case. “You and I will have a chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some warnings for mentions of violence and torture in this chapter

A mild itch on his knuckles kept pushing its way to the front of Gabriel’s mind, a tiny detail that kept muddying the sharp planing he needed to focus on instead. At the same time the feeling of scraped up skin healing over provided him with the satisfaction of knowing why exactly he ached. 

“You think we’re done with getting more out of those scum?” McCree asked next to him. They were standing in front of a one way mirror, looking into the holding cell beyond. 

Smoke from his cigar filled the side room, but Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to put the thing away. It wasn’t the stench of a cheap one and provided him with some second hand stimulation as well. He could have gone to find a cigarette for himself, but smoking after this was just perverse in some way. 

“Honestly, I don’t care if they can tell us more or not,” Gabriel said with a shrug. “But at this point they’re ready to blurt out everything they have if I even just show my face.”

McCree gave him a look that was half worry half admiration. Usually he wasn’t one to endorse any kind of violence towards those in Blackwatch custody, preferring scare tactics and threats to make people fear something that would never come. Gabriel didn’t care for these things either. 

Exceptions could be made when it came to his only daughter though. 

He didn’t want to even think of what would have happened to Ellie, or how scared she would have been, if McCree hadn’t gotten a bad feeling about the pilot that had come to tell her she could go to Jack’s mission with her father after all. If he allowed himself to let his thoughts wander that direction he would have to go and do some lasting damage to “Pete” after all. 

“Have they checked how in the hell this guy managed to get in here already?” Gabriel asked to distract himself from it. 

“Sure. He’s the only one from his little gang who has absolutely no suspicious connections to anything on record, and he was just a cargo pilot. Those don’t get clearance for anything important normally.”

Anything important but a young girl who was at home at the Swiss HQ, that is. 

Gabriel flicked his wrist towards the door, leading out into towards the rest of the holding cells. 

“And the other ones? Any more news about which of their hideouts they would have taken her?”

This time McCree just chewed on his cigar with a pained look. 

“I’ve only seen pictures of all potential hideouts, and there’s a couple spots big enough to keep a child locked in but-”

Gabriel hummed thoughtfully, wondering if he should go have a pleasant little talk with the pilot’s companions, just cause they had even considered doing what he had prevented. 

He took a long look at the holding cell in front of him, with the man inside hunched over on a chair, hair sticking together with dried blood and obscuring his face. He had either fallen asleep or gone unconscious probably, which was more reprive than Gabriel was willing to allow a man who had nearly stolen away his child. 

“I think it’s time for our friend to be shown to his new room,” Gabriel told McCree. “See that he is escorted there and maybe provide some lunch if you’re feeling charitable.”

McCree snorted as if he had made a joke, but tipped his hat and left to fetch some back up to wake up and carry their prisoner over. Gabriel didn’t stay to watch. It was lunch time after all, and the brief relief of getting to punish the ones who had tried to hurt his family was starting to fade. 

He hurried along towards his home, only stopping to make sure his gloves hide the scraped knuckles and that there was no blood anywhere on his clothes. 

On his way towards the final corridor Gabriel ran into Ana, who was leaning against the wall with a sour expression. She was one of the few who knew of what had happened a few days ago, and watched over her friends’ family like a hawk now. 

“You are sure you have found everyone involved in this plot,” she asked in lieu of a greeting. 

“All of them,” Gabriel confirmed. “I’m pretty sure they’re so scared they’ll start telling me Goody Proctor tried to help them if we push them more.”

Ana frowned at him. 

“I don’t want anyone else to slip through our fingers. What if they come back for Ellie? Or Fareeha. Or any other person who’s close to Jack?”

Gabriel felt something cold stir in his chest, but he brushed it off. 

“Trust me, I will make sure that anything that tries again will bleed.”

She nodded, relaxing a little bit. 

“Good.”

Gabriel walked past her, towards their home then, also relaxing a little knowing that she had been close by the entire time he was gone. Nothing could happen to them under Ana’s watchful eye, she always made sure the team was safe. 

Once inside Gabriel picked up the sound of instrumental music coming from the kitchen. It was quiet otherwise, and as he approached he found Ellie sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by books and a notepad as well as bottled water and a bowl of peanuts. She glanced up with a frown. 

“Everything alright, pumpkin?” he asked, smiling. 

“I hate literature,” Ellie replied. “Exams on it are really just a guessing game of trying to get your teacher’s interpretation right!”

“Tough luck.”

Gabriel glanced around, trying to listen for more sounds within their home. There was nothing though, and no sign of Jack. 

“Where’s your dad?” 

“Dunno, haven’t seen him since breakfast,” Ellie said, shrugging and turning her attention back to her exam preparations. “I think having to cancel that trip has pushed way more work load on him than he thought.”

So Jack hadn’t been home since the early morning. 

The knowledge that Ana had been nearby somewhat kept Gabriel’s tension at bay. He had somehow assumed that Jack would spend most of the day near Ellie, as he had already cancelled an entire month long trip the second he heard of what had nearly happened to her. Sure, Ellie might question why her dad suddenly had time to stick around so much during the day, but that was so easy to find an excuse for that wouldn’t let her catch on.

“I’ll remind him that we wanted to have lunch together,” Gabriel promised. “Are you hungry already?”

Ellie glanced at the bowl of peanuts and pressed her lips together. 

“Not really… But I’ll eat if you cook.”

Gabriel nodded and gave Ellie a salute. 

“Good luck with your books then.”

Leaving her behind went against the basic need to be there to protect his daughter, but Gabriel knew nothing would touch her in their home. She was protected, any nobody would dare try to lure her away from there. 

The walk to his husband’s office was quiet, with few agents in the hallway. Some of them greeted him as he walked by, but most were busy going places or talking to each other without paying him any mind. Jack had managed to keep the entire nasty business out of official Overwatch record, only informing those closest to him within the organisation. It was entirely up to Blackwatch to deal with what had transpired, and both he and Gabriel had agreed that Ellie didn’t need to know how close she had been to serious harm. 

And all this because Jack had lend help to the Greek government when help to combat a bunch of corrupt cities had been requested. Parts of the islands had been under the control of little circles of factory owners that had taken root there just after the Omnic Crisis, filling a void created by the war, lack of resources, and little to no industry to support the locals. Their influence on the land and each other had made it nearly impossible for the government to intervene. By the time Overwatch was called to help solve the situation, a handful of leaders had their areas in a chokehold, blocking off any external trade and support as well as exploiting the lack of any alternative way of getting the means to survive. 

Gabriel had paid some attention to this, of course, as he had instructed some of his own agents to infiltrate the areas if possible, but that had mostly been a smooth operation under Jack’s control. He had figured that the scattered former would be kings might retaliate, and try to get their control back. But not the way they did in the end. 

It had been so easy to find somebody related to the crime rings, somebody who stood to benefit from them enriching themselves further and who would rouse absolutely no suspicion when trying to apply to a minor position in Overwatch. Somebody who had lived in Switzerland for years and might apply to stay at the HQ base instead of going back and forth too much. Somebody who would be enough of a familiar face that the Strike Commander’s daughter, a child who had grown up among Overwatch personnel, would see them as just another friendly face to chat with. 

They had waited for the right moment, and when Ellie had been upset about her father leaving, it was the easiest thing to claim that the Strike Commander had ordered for her to flown out to meet him before taking her along on a mission. 

By now Gabriel had managed to get a hold of every single man involved in that plan. Some had waited in France, where Ellie would no longer be surrounded by agents who could come to rescue her at a moment’s notice. There had been several hideouts they had planned to drag her back and forth from, holding her hostage until Jack was forced to pull back any Overwatch presence still aiding Greece in its problem. 

Gabriel’s jaw clenched at the thought of what they would have done to his daughter. His fists still tingled from working each and every one of them over personally, until they bled and begged and told him every little detail he could possibly ask for. Not really knowing who he was. Not aware of the man with the cold eyes being the father of the girl they had nearly scarred for life, just to blackmail her more prominent parent. 

That they were still somewhat conscious after Gabriel was done with them could only be credited to his perfect restraint and Ellie being unharmed and none the wiser. 

He had been very calm and efficient as he questioned them, as he hurt them. He had wanted them to be in pain, but Gabriel had only felt cold as he just did enough to make sure the would be child abductors knew not to keep any information from him. It had felt satisfying, yes, but not enough to make him want to stay and do lasting damage. A courtesy he knew none of them would have shown him or Ellie if it had come to that. 

Nobody was near Jack’s office as he approached it, but the door didn’t open as Gabriel tried to activate it. None of the lock override codes worked, not even the ones for the highest ranking commanders, until Gabriel used the one only him and Jack had access to. Only then did it slide open with a hiss. 

Inside the office was a mess. Papers and holopads lay scattered on the floor, the blanket by the couch was a twisted mess, the plants and personal trinkets on the windowsill looked as if they had been rearranged or pushed off to join the mess on the floor as well. 

His husband sat at his desk, hunched over and looking strangely vulnerable despite the official armour that was pristine despite the surroundings. The Strike Commander himself didn’t look nearly as put together though. Dark circles marked Jack’s face, and his hair looked as if he had pulled and torn at it in frustration. His head was in his hand, fingers hiding most of his face apart from the haunted expression in his eyes, the other hand was clutched around an empty glass. The bottle of whiskey next to that was mostly empty as well. 

“Hey,” Gabriel said softly, relaxing a little as the door shut behind him and he took in the state Jack was in. 

“Didn’t want anyone else to see me,” Jack muttered. His voice sounded rough, as if he hadn’t used it in weeks. “Can’t have some agents walk in and wonder why their Strike Commander’s having a meltdown.”

Gabriel stepped around the objects on the floor carefully, until he was by Jack’s side and could reach out to gently pry the glass from his hand. 

“Are you trying to deal with smoothing out problems while attempting to get drunk?”

“That’s what emails are for,” Jack muttered. 

He looked up at Gabriel, jaw clenched.

“You still won’t let me go down there to even take a look at the ones who nearly-”

His voice broke, and Gabriel felt his heart clench. A part of him wanted to take Jack by the hand and lead him down to his domain, let him take a good look at the men who had tried to rip their family apart, to take out his fury on them. Perhaps it might actually help him process the situation better. 

But there was no reason for Jack to get his hands dirty, or to have him risk people noticing just how the Strike Commander dealt with frustration. Gabriel had already taken care of those who would have done his family harm anyway. 

“They’re already regretting even considering their plans,” Gabriel promised. “And I’ll make sure to have rumours reach the right ears so no other minor crime lords decide to attempt the same.”

Jack looked pained at that, gritting his teeth and flexing his hands helplessly. 

“At least you got to do something,” he said after a while. “I’ve checked everything, I talked to every official I could, I even messaged our contacts in the Greek government. Short of giving me a list of everyone who had ever talked in a friendly way to somebody we crossed there’s _nothing_ anyone can suggest that would have prevented this. Tighten security or restrict vulnerable target’s unsupervised movement. That’s the only thing they say!”

He grabbed the edge of his table, making the material creak dangerously. Gabriel wrapped his arms around Jack’s middle, pulling him up and out of his chair firmly before he might destroy some furniture and then be forced to explain just how he had managed to do so. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, ducking into Jack’s space to look him in the eye. Jack took a few deep breaths before finally meeting his eye. 

“It doesn’t matter what your political buddies and the higher ups tell you. I’ll be there to keep this from happening again, Jackie. You know I will protect you both,” he promised.

Jack sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, leaning into Gabriel. 

“I know,” he said. “But… I can’t just sit around and do _nothing_. I haven’t even felt this useless during the Omnic Crisis!”

Gabriel could feel Jack’s hands tremble and clench at his sides, before taking a hold of his hoodie. 

“If I could at least… Do something about the guys that already tried,” Jack went on. “I would- I want them to _pay_.”

A small part of him wanted to take Jack by the hand and lead him down to the Blackwatch holding cells. To let him find some sort of catharsis or at least look the people who tried to hurt them in the eye. It wouldn’t end well though. 

“Jack, you can’t get involved in these things,” Gabriel reminded him, holding him close and pressing his face against Jack’s hair. “If somebody decides to investigate and finds anything wrong with the situation, you’ll be in trouble. You can’t afford anyone questioning if you’re too easily swayed by personal involvement.”

Gabriel could feel Jack’s warmth, the familiar scent of his skin and his heartbeat threaten to drown him. For the first time the rage and pain at the danger their daughter had been in tried to swallow him up and make him lose his cool. He couldn’t allow that to happen, he had to remain calm and sharp to be able to protect his loved ones. 

“Come on,” he said, swallowing down the ice cold storm of rage, managing a smile for Jack. “Let's go home, I told Ellie we’ll have lunch together.”

Jack’s jaw worked for a few moments, before the tension finally drained from his body. 

“I didn’t want to be near her,” he admitted quietly. “She’ll be able to tell that I’m… I don’t want her to worry.”

“Is this why you keep running off to your office and avoiding her? Ellie’s kind of preoccupied with her exams for the moment,” Gabriel said. “And she thinks you’re really stressed out with your duties right now. If she notices something she won’t figure out it’s about her.”

Jack’s arms squeezed tighter around him for a second, before he took a step back and breathed in shakily.

“Alright… Alright, I can do this. Let me just get cleaned up.”

Gabriel waited patiently as Jack went to the bathroom of his office, washing his face and making an attempt to practice looking less distraught in the mirror. He didn’t look up as he waited, focusing on breathing and thinking of nothing in particular. It was harder to keep his composure near Jack, while he hadn’t even needed to pretend that he was calm and collected earlier. 

Once Jack emerged from the bathroom he looked perfectly put together, a little tired and overworked maybe, but still the beloved Strike Commander anyone would follow in a heartbeat. It was nearly too easy for him to slip into that role even after holing up in his office with a bottle of booze. 

“Lets go,” he said, offering Gabriel a crooked smile that convincingly hid the pained expression that he’d worn just minutes earlier. 

“You want me and Ellie to try and cook something?” he offered, walking close enough to Jack to offer closeness and support but not so much so that anyone they met would wonder why the Strike Commander was so vulnerable looking. 

“And end up with chips and chicken nuggets again?” Jack snorted. “No thank you.”

“I did learn how to cook proper meals, you know that, right?”

“Only when you actually prepare in advance.”

Jack was relaxed enough to nearly seem normal by the time they approached their living quarters. He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and glanced at Gabriel. 

“You sure she won’t figure out how worried I am?”

Gabriel leaned in to kiss Jack softly. 

“Right now you could even fool me,” he assured Jack. “Now come on, let's try and forget everything for a few hours.”

 

*

Gabriel managed to leave his office a little after eleven. McCree had stayed to help him until late in the evening, reviewing reports from the various agents they had sent to investigate. There was little surprising information left, but Gabriel wanted to clear everything he could possibly get his hands on, from how the Greek would be kidnappers had chosen their safehouses, to where they planned on getting ammunition and supplies. Couldn’t hurt to investigate the supply chains after all. 

He had kicked McCree out the second he had shown signs of falling asleep on the couch, and by now the day’s exhaustion was starting to wear him down slowly. This was something Gabriel would usually run by Jack completely, but given that he had to protect Jack and Ellie it didn’t really make sense to ask Jack to step up and shield himself. This was Gabriel’s task now. 

The hallways were dark as he moved through them and towards his home, deserted safe for the presence of agents close enough to the Strike Commander’s living quarters that Gabriel knew Ana must have sent them. Anything to make her friends feel secure while things were calming down. 

It was dark in their home as well, none of the lights were on and moonlight shone through a cloudless sky and into their windows of the living room. Gabriel didn’t need to check where Ellie was, picking up the soft snoring coming from the couch the moment he entered the room. 

Ellie was stretched out on the couch, one arm dangling from the edge, the other resting on a book resting against her chest. She was deep asleep, mouth hanging open and looking just like any other student after crunching for a subject they didn’t enjoy. 

Gabriel smiled at the sight as he tugged the book from her hands gently, and set it on the coffee table. Then he picked up Ellie as carefully as he could, hoping not to jostle her awake. She wasn’t hard to carry, but the corridor leading to her room didn’t really lend itself to carrying a relaxed teenager without having her arms and legs nudge the walls. By the time Gabriel tried to push open her door Ellie cracked open her eyes. 

“‘Whh ‘im’s it-?” she slurred, blinking up at him like an owl. 

“Past your bedtime,” Gabriel told her, not able to suppress his chuckle. “You fell asleep while reading. Don’t pick up your dad’s bad habits, please.”

Ellie’s room was darker than the rest of the flat, and Gabriel took a moment to adjust to the darkness before moving on to Ellie’s bed to set her down on the mattress. She was barefoot, and wearing comfortable clothes so he didn’t feel like bothering her with making her change into her pyjamas. 

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t pass an exam about some old dusty books you don’t like,” he told her, and picked up Sergant Strudel, a big cuddly dog and the first toy Ana had gifted her before setting it on Ellie’s chest. “As long as you’re enjoying yourself I don’t care if you fail all of school, pumpkin. You’re too clever for it anyway.”

“That’s not what dad said,” Ellie pouted, arms curling around her toy. She had claimed that she could sleep without it several times, and yet it was always within her line of sight when she slept. “Doing good in school is important.”

Gabriel shrugged. 

“It’s overrated. I dropped out of college and look how well I’m doing.”

Ellie glared at him. 

“You didn’t drop out, papa! Your college was blown up in the Omnic Crisis!”

“Same difference.”

Ellie let out a long suffering sigh and turned around to press her face against the pillows. Gabriel chuckled and left her to it.

“Good night, pumpkin.”

“Night, papa,” she muttered as Gabriel pulled the door close quietly. 

Whatever else had happened, at the very least Ellie had been completely spared any consequences. As far as she was concerned, there had been some scheduling issues and confusing information regarding Jack’s mission and who was going to come along. Pete had been over eager to carry out a command and hadn’t realized that it had been overruled already. And if she never ran into him again, then that wouldn’t be unusual either. Agents rotated between bases all the time anyway. 

It gave Gabriel a grim sort of satisfaction to know that he had at least managed to shield his daughter from these things. She needed to know how to protect herself, yes, but by now he preferred that she didn’t even know of any dangerous around her as he took them out quietly. Anything to let her sleep soundly and have her biggest worries be literature classes. 

Jack was another matter. 

As Gabriel slipped into their bedroom the light on their bedside table was still on. Jack was curled up in their sheets, naked and vulnerable. Even in sleep the tension hadn’t drained from his body and his shoulders were hunched up. There was nothing Gabriel could do to shield him anymore. In retrospect he wished he hadn’t let Jack know immediately, that he had handled everything discreetly to spare Jack the fitful sleep and the worry painting dark lines under his eyes. The instinct to keep Jack up to date had interfered with his wish to keep him safe though. 

Gabriel shed his clothes were he stood, and then set a knee on the mattress. It dipped under his weight, but their bed didn’t creak and Jack didn’t stirr as his husband climbed to his spot by his side. He let out a sigh in his sleep as Gabriel carefully gathered him in his arms, holding him close and shielding him as best he could. Despite the familiar embrace Jack didn’t relax, the frown on his face not smoothing out at all. 

With Jack’s warm body pressed to his chest, Gabriel felt the icy rage stir in him again. 

He would never let this happen again, he promised himself. He couldn’t risk Ellie and have Jack be so completely broken in the privacy of his room. No matter what, by whatever means necessary. 

Nothing would hurt his family ever again.


	13. Chapter 13

The argument had nearly become a shouting match, just two very angry soldiers growling at each other from across their bedroom. There was a bottle of wine they had meant to share resting against the sheets, and pyjamas already laid out from when they wanted to get ready to enjoy a quiet night and a good sleep together in their bed at the same time. A full night of rest together had grown rare lately, with interruptions or late nights of work cutting into their time.

Gabriel couldn’t remember which one of them had brought up their jobs, or how it had slipped into this.

“You’re not taking Talon seriously at all,” Gabriel hissed, pacing in the narrow area between their bed and his favourite armchair, which he had dragged into the bedroom a few years ago to read while curled up in it. It restricted the area he could pace in now, something that bothered him more than it should.

“I don’t care how small you think that organisation is, they’re a danger.”

“I never said that,” Jack growled back. He stood still, tension in every line of his body like a snake ready to pounce. “What I _said_ is that you can’t connect them to a few weapons being smuggled by Deadlock. Come on, that’s been nearly ten years ago now, you can’t keep tying back everything to that just because the closure wasn’t as neat as you would have liked!”

Gabriel paused, staring at Jack. Since when had he started questioning him and his conclusions so much? It didn’t feel like attempts to help him think something through and see things from a different perspective anymore, it felt more like doubt in his ability to figure things out himself.

“Because I’m telling you,” he said slowly, “That a suspected Talon member was seen dining with Erwin Montgomery, somebody we _know_ sold weapons to that gang-“

“This again!”

Jack dragged his hand over his face, the first sign of exhaustion Gabriel had seen since they had started arguing.

“You haven’t gotten me a single solid connection between him and anything you think he did. You keep bringing it up every few months, and how many times do I have to say that I believe your guesses, but I need _proof_. You don’t tell me anything at all anymore! If you actually have proof, or if you want anything to help get real proof, then _tell_ me! I need to know what you’re up to if I’m to approve every god damn thing you ask for.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, throwing up his hands.

“Seriously Jack, you can’t keep talking your way out of _doing_ things. When have you stopped acting on what you know is right? You’ll be nothing but a pretty figurehead if you keep acting like this. A perfect golden boy and a goddamn coward,” he sneered. “You keep waiting around to crush problems till it’s all neat and pretty and in the meantime it comes back to put _everything_ around you in danger!”

Jack looked at him for several long moments, and Gabriel was sure he was gearing up for an insult or deciding whether to get physical. Instead Jack’s shoulders slumped and he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I think you should leave.”

Immediately Gabriel’s defensive pose deflated, and he stared at his husband. They had once agreed that it was better to step apart before an argument could escalate, to cool off and bury the hatchet before things got serious. He could count on one hand how many nights they had actually spent apart like this. And somehow most had been within the past years.

“Jack…”

His husband didn’t reply, slumping further and reaching for the wine bottle to pull it into his lap. He watched Jack for a while, the line of his back and the way his head was turned from him. It had been too low a blow… 

Then he sighed quietly.

“Ok.”

It was a quick thing to grab his clothes, a quilt and a small bag of his toiletries. Jack didn’t look at him as he got ready, and didn’t turn when Gabriel pushed open the door quietly.

“Good night, Jack,” he said, not expecting a reply.

Their apartment was dark as Gabriel made his way down the corridor and towards the living room, easily avoiding furniture and corners. It was past midnight already, and nobody would be in the base between here and his Blackwatch office. At least he had a big enough couch there to try and get some rest.

He felt the stare more than he saw the other person in the dark living room, and when Gabriel looked up he noticed the shadow of a young girl in the doorway to the kitchen. Ellie’s eyes were bright in the dim light that made it in from outside, and she was dressed for the night.

“What are you doing up, pumpkin?” Gabriel asked, keeping his tone light despite how his heart clenched at being kicked out of his own home and have his sixteen year old daughter witness it. 

“Was just getting a drink,” she said, eyes darting to the bundle of blanket and clothes in Gabriel’s arms. “Where are you going?”

“I have to work late,” Gabriel lied smoothly. “Thought I’d rather get ready to sleep in my office than make my way back if I manage to finish up before morning.”

He didn’t need to see her face clearly to know that Ellie wasn’t buying it. The darkness didn’t hide the fear in her eyes either.

“You always sleep with dad if you’re already home,” she said quietly, and Gabriel noticed the way she clenched her hands anxiously.

He realized what she was seeing. Her father leaving their home to sleep in his office after maybe hearing raised voices. It wasn’t something a child could possibly be comfortable around, and not something he had ever wanted his daughter to notice. By now she could see through so many of their reassurances and read Gabriel better than he was comfortable with in moments like this.

“It’s alright, I promise,” he said with a sigh. “Your dad and I just had a disagreement and are going to sit in our own corners until we can solve it. Like a time out, you know?”

“You two aren’t in kindergarten, papa,” Ellie said, unimpressed, as her hands kept twisting the hem of her shirt.

Gabriel looked down at his things, sighing again.

“I’ll be back here tomorrow and everything will be fine, you’ll see,” he promised. “We’ll even make a nice dinner, whatever you pick. I’ll kick your dad’s ass into it if you want. Now come on, pumpkin. Off to bed with you.”

The fear in Ellie’s eyes didn’t go away as she walked by Gabriel, back stiff and worry rolling off her in waves. He waited until he heard the sound of her bedroom door closing before walking out of the apartment himself.

He cursed himself silently as he made the walk towards his office. His research was important, but the look on Ellie’s face…

Whatever else was going on in the world, with Omnics, corrupt businessmen, or terrorists, there was nothing more important in his life than Jack and Isabella. He couldn’t let one get in his way of being there for the other. He couldn’t risk them, couldn’t have Jack look so hurt and Ellie so afraid again.

Come tomorrow Gabriel would return and make it up to Jack. He would make sure to let Ellie know that her parents were as in love as ever, strong together and that disagreements weren’t too big an issue if one could get over them.

He wouldn’t bother Jack with the Montgomery situation again. Not until he had solid proof that was good enough for the Strike Commander. 

Or until he had solved the matter in a way that didn’t need Jack’s approval in the first place.

 

*

 

The room wasn’t anything like the labs at SEP, and Gabriel couldn’t decide if this served to alleviate or worsen his discomfort at the situation.

At first glance it was a normal laboratory, with various equipment, neatly organized shelves and a mess of handwritten notes on the table. Then one might notice a cage, and a packet of rodent food, but one might just figure that it was for a lab rat or something like that. Only if one entered further into the lab did the fridge and unfolded couch became noticeable, as well as snacks and a change of clothes. Not something one usually ought to put anywhere near a lab like that.

Compared to the miniature living room in the corner, the medical equipment wasn’t as questionable. None of it had been there originally, and Gabriel had personally helped his new doctor push everything from the medical wing into the lab.

Sitting on the cold surface of an examination table was familiar at least, as was having someone in a lab coat go through his medical files while muttering things Gabriel couldn’t quite follow anymore.

“We’re just about to start, Commander” Moira said, looking up from her data pad. “Just making sure the equipment is recording properly.”

Gabriel hummed in agreement, and tried not to shiver. It was cold in the lab, in just his underwear, but he didn’t want to ask Moira to turn up the heat. The monitor by her side was showing his heart rate in a steady rhythm, nothing out of the norm appearing at all.

“Congratulations are in order, I believe,” Moira went on, smiling softly. She often liked to chat before the real work started, and Gabriel didn’t mind. It helped take his mind off the discomfort of being experimented on again and her small talk could be entertaining. The scientists back at SEP had been too busy overseeing several soldiers at once to have time for much talk, and this was nearly cozy in comparison.

“For what?”

“For Isabella being accepted into a prestigious college back in your country. Molecular biology, a fine subject for a young woman to get into. One of her future professors was a former colleague of mine, a capable teacher if one has a sharp mind. And surely she possesses one, if you are any indication, Commander.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched in half a smile. It was the strangest thing to let Ellie go so far for so long. But she was old enough, and his pride in his daughter picking a science career cancelled out his sadness about seeing her go. He couldn’t expect her to live her entire life on a base and pick a place to study that would allow her to live at home forever after all.

“She has always had a fondness for these things,” he said. “Not really my area, but I know she’ll do fine.”

Moira tapped some buttons on her pad, nodding.

“If she ever chooses to delve into genetics she would have a good subject to study readily available in herself. The child of two uniquely enhanced humans… Fascinating, though it’s a pity that she inherited two different sets of SEP experiments. Never displayed any of you and the Strike Commander’s specific skills, did she?”

Gabriel went still, the steady rhythm of his heart beat not changing a bit. He had trained himself to remain calm no matter how distressed he was, and hearing this from Moira… It shouldn’t bother him at all, he had trusted her with his own life after all. But to hear a scientist like her talk about Ellie this way...

“If she did, we would have no way of knowing,” he said instead. “The kind of enhancements you need for supersoldiers don’t really come into play with civilians.”

He didn’t mention how Ellie could keep pace with Jack for at least one lap of sprinting, or how even as a little child her bruises and scrapes had healed much quicker than Fareeha’s. It had never been enough to be noticed by anyone who wasn’t actively looking for signs, so nobody had ever brought it up.

“Are we ready now?” Gabriel asked, quickly diverting her attention to something more interesting, and Moira turned to him.

“Yes. Lie back, Commander, we can proceed with the treatment.”

Gabriel closed his eyes and did as he was told, shifting uncomfortably as his shoulders touched the cold surface. He barely felt the prick of a needle in his arm, and by the time something cold seemed to seep into his body he had already zoned out enough to ignore it all. 

 

  
*

 

Ellie was halfway through a plate of scrambled egg and toast when she head her father’s name coming from the radio of the college cafeteria.

“-the incident in Venice has caused major concern, revealing the existence of the black ops unit Blackwatch within the-“

She nearly dropped her fork as she heard the name mentioned, after an entire lifetime of obediently nodding and promising to never whisper a word of that or her papa’s work in general.

“What the fuck,” she whispered, reaching into her pocket to open her phone and click through to a news source.

It popped up on the front page, an article that had been posted before she’d even woken up way too late in the morning after a night of reading. She barely skimmed it to see if everything was fine, seeing something about her father leading an illegal operation in Venice. There were photos of him and some people in heavy armour, shot from the distance. She could see her papa with shotguns bigger than a normal man could lift, as well as Jesse and Genji and the woman she had seen in the Blackwatch section of the base once or twice.

“What the fuck,” she whispered again, popping open her text and typing out a message to the family group chat.

‘What the heck, dad? Papa, what did you do?’

She stared down on her screen for a moment, then ran her hand over her face with her sigh. It was the middle of the day back home, and knowing her dad he’d be busy with handling the situation now, while her papa was probably in trouble.

The radio had moved on to playing music by now, and Ellie didn’t feel like finishing the last few bites of her toast. She put her phone away and got up to carry her tray back. As she turned to leave the cafeteria a tall white guy with spiked up hair approached her, followed by a group of five trailing behind, staring at her curiously.

“Hey, aren’t you that Reyes girl?” he asked, and Ellie frowned as she tried to remember who he was. Probably somebody from her language electives, as she was sure she would have remembered somebody from the science buildings.

He seemed to take her silence as confirmation, as he went on talking.

“Heard what your dad did. The hell is wrong with a guy to go from retired hero to violent law breaking terrorist all of a sudden?”

The guy looked incredibly proud of having said so, staring at her smugly while his posse seemed equally impressed and nervous. Ellie narrowed her eyes at him, trying to figure out what he wanted from her other than to seem tough.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh come on, you must have heard the news. I know you’re related to _the_ Gabriel Reyes, everyone knows that. What’s it like being raised by a criminal?”

Ellie felt her jaw clench in anger, and she regarded him with a cool stare.

“Mighty brave of you to bother the beloved only child of a violent criminal, don’t you think?” she said with a low growl.

The guy took a step back, taken aback by her change in demeanor and suddenly nervous. He did believe whatever speculations he read then. Good.

Without a second glance she moved past him, heading for the door and confidently stepping through it. The moment she was out of sight her façade crumble and she let out a groan.

What was wrong with people?

Nobody else approached her as she walked down towards the fields at the edge of the campus. It was a warm day, and most students out and about either had places or to be or were lazing around, not really interested in international incidents. She walked up to the bleachers by the baseball field undisturbed, and sat down with a sigh.

There were just a few people on the field, throwing balls at each other and catching them easily. When she had time for track practice she’d run by it around the same time as the baseball team had its own practice, and often took her breaks near it. Most of the players were good friends with her, or at least knew that she was the girlfriend of one of them.

Marco was chatting to somebody when she sat down, but the moment he spotted her he clapped his friend on the shoulder and jogged over with a smile.

“Hey Ells,” he called out as he climbed up the steps towards her. He stopped with a frown as he noticed her expression. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah, it’s just… papa made it on the news,” she sighed.

“The fancy Commander,” Marco asked, cocking his eyebrow “Or the scary veteran?”

“Yes him. There’s some sort of international incident and now somebody just asked me what it’s like to be related to a terrorist. I mean, what the hell?”

Marco frowned and shook his head.

“Rude. Is that what the news are saying?”

“No, I think it’s a diplomatic mishap actually? I don’t know what’s up, I haven’t talked to him yet.”

She sighed again, and Marco squeezed her shoulder gently.

“Forget them. I’ve got to get changed, but I’ll be right back and we can go figure out something to take your mind of it, alright?”

He took his cap off and placed it on her head with a grin, causing Ellie to smile.

“Thanks. I’ll wait here.”

He waved cheerfully and hopped down the steps again, leaving her behind.

She was alone for about two minutes when her phone rang. The ring tone was the Bonanza theme song, so she picked it up.

“Hey dad,” she said, unsure whether she should be annoyed that her papa wasn’t the one who called.

“Hey, pumpkin.”

Her dad sounded hoarse and exhausted, and Ellie wondered if he’d stayed up all night half yelling at various agents. Given that her papa had made it on the news it seemed weirdly likely.

“What’s going on over there? I just read the news and some guys tried to annoy me with it.”

A sigh on the other end of the call made the speaker crackle. She could imagine her dad rubbing his temples to get rid of a migraine on the other side.

“Sorry it’s impacting you as well. Yeah it’s… Gabe did something rash and ill-advised while trying to do a good thing… It’s nothing serious personally, it’s just… I don’t know the exact consequences yet but I’m overrun with angry politicians.”

Ellie hummed in sympathy.

“Why didn’t papa call? Is he alright?”

“Yes, he’s doing just fine. He’s busy debriefing. This is a mess but we still need to record everything as best we can.”

Ellie glanced around to check if Marco was already coming back.

“Is papa gonna sleep on the uncomfortable old couch now?”

A soft chuckle.

“God knows he’d deserve it.”

“Do I want to know what happened exactly?”

A pause, and Ellie heard fingers drumming against a hard surface.

“Maybe when you’re home, it’s not really something I can explain on the phone easily.”

Her dad sounded more exhausted than tense in the way he got when he had to keep something a secret. Ellie shrugged, despite him not being able to see the motion.

“Alright. Tell papa to call me when he has time.”

“I will. But I have to go now. Talk to you later, pumpkin.”

“Bye, love you.”

The call ended and Ellie put the phone down with a sigh. She could feel a stress related headache approaching fast, and if she was already feeling like this then she didn’t want to know what her dad was going through.

She briefly opened her phone again to send a text to just her papa, consisting solely out of the frowny face emoji.

“Ells, you coming?”

Ellie looked up to find Marco at the foot of the steps, waiting with a smile. She pocketed her phone and quickly skipped down towards him.

“Lets go get the biggest sundae we can find,” she said as she linked her arm with his.

Marco grinned.

“Whatever you wish.”

*

 

Jack crawled into bed before the sun had managed to rise past the treetops in the distance. He let out a groan as his head hit the pillow, and Gabriel ached at how absolutely exhausted his husband looked. He seemed more stressed out than he used to be in the worst weeks of the Omnic Crisis, when they’d run on a handful of hours of sleep for weeks. He had been younger then, less weary and there had been no lines on his face and no silver in his hair.

“Hey,” Gabriel said softly, and Jack cracked his eyes open just a bit, too tired to open them fully. “They put you through the wringer?”

He got another groan as an answer.

Really, Gabriel felt like jumping into the nearest jet and flying over to the UN headquarters to yell at some pencil pushers. They might not care for time zones, but if he had to listen to Jack get up at four in the morning to have some higher ups insult him again…

“Come here, sunshine,” he whispered, and wrapped his arms around Jack’s body to pull him closer and against his chest.

He saw the way Jack’s lips twitched in a smile as he relaxed in the warm embrace, tension draining from him immediately.

“Mmhm, don’t feel much like sunshine at the moment.”

“You are to me, doesn’t matter how sleepy you are,” Gabriel quipped back at him.

He pressed a kiss to the mussed golden white hair, hooking his leg over Jack’s hips. They were completely wrapped up in each other, Gabriel a shield against the world outside. Like this, in their bedroom nothing but them existed. None of their disagreements, none the shitstorm of public opinion and UN directors, or the threat of court martial.

In their bed they were simply Jack and Gabe, and Overwatch didn’t exist. They weren’t bound by duty, they didn’t have daily clashes about how to proceed or what to do. It all became insignificant. They had drawn a line at the threshold of their home, a line that Strike Commander Morrison and Blackwatch Commander Reyes could not cross. No more anger and talk of work was allowed past that point, unless it was to help each other deal with the stress of the newest situation. It wasn’t perfect, but at the very least their home was now a bubble of safety and calm. All the yelling, all the arguments and anxieties were left behind here. 

“Do you want anything?” Gabriel asked, rubbing his thumb over the nape of Jack’s neck.

“Not if it means you leaving the bed.”

“You want me to get you off? Whatever way you want, you won’t have to do anything if you’re tired.”

It had always helped Jack unwind and fall asleep quickly, and Gabriel saw him pause to consider it before burying his face deeper against Gabe’s chest.

“No, not in the mood. I think I’ll just sleep like this.”

Gabriel nodded and wrapped his arms tighter around Jack. Within moments his breathing evened out and slowed to the steady pace of Jack sleeping.

Gabriel didn’t sleep as he held his husband, shielding him from the world. His face was pressed against Jack’s hair, breathing in his familiar scent for what felt like hours. The world didn’t exist at all as he held Jack, so when a knock on the door tore him from his thoughts several hours later Gabriel was surprised to see that the sun had risen enough to shine through their bedroom window.

“Dad? Papa? You want some pancakes or what?”

Gabriel raised his head just enough to see that it was past ten in the morning by then, and Jack was stirring in his hold.

“Did I hear pancakes?” he muttered, blinking confusedly.

He looked much better already, the tension gone from his body as he crawled out of bed to unlock the door.

“You’ve got to help me with the batter,” Ellie said the second the door was open. “I still can’t figure out the proportions for the amount of pancakes you two can consume.”

“Prepare the pans then,” Jack replied, already pushing her out and towards the kitchen and grabbing his dressing gown from a hook by the door.

Gabriel remained in bed for a few moments, both his husband and daughter too preoccupied with talking recipes to notice that he wasn’t following right away. He shifted until his face was pressed against Jack’s pillow, breathing in deeply as he clutched it to his body for a moment. Then he finally let go of it with a sigh and got up to follow the other two.

By the time he arrived in the kitchen Ellie was busy chopping up strawberries as Jack expertly splashed a ladle full of batter into the hot pan, back to a routine they had picked up on quiet mornings.

“It’s really not that difficult,” Jack said as he put the ladle back into the enormous bowl he used for batters.

“Dad, I can barely mix that much without breaking my whisk!”

Jack bumped his hip against Ellie’s playfully.

“Get a better whisk, pumpkin.”

She giggled and nudged her elbow into her father’s side in retaliation.

Gabriel smiled as he leaned against the wall and watched the two chatter on about kitchen equipment and what absolutely couldn’t be replaced by inferior products. He didn’t really know anything about that, but he wasn’t listening anyway. Just watching the two was enough.

Jack hummed a tune as he flipped the first pancake over, and Ellie was swaying to it, the colourful ties on her braids swinging back and forth over her back as she did so. She had always liked cooking with Jack, eager to eat even the greenest of veggies if he just helped her prepare them in a delicious way when most children would have refused.

The sight made his heart clench painfully. Gabriel rubbed at his chest absently, eyes focused on his family until a tickle in his throat made him cough quietly.

He muttered an excuse and slipped out of the room before either of them could notice, hurrying towards the bathroom and quickly locking the door behind him. Gabriel reached the sink just in time as a violent coughing fit tore through his throat. He choked on it, hacking and spitting as he gripped the sink hard enough to have it creak.

Finally the pain stopped as he coughed one last time and spit into the sink. Something black hit the white porcelain with a squelch. Gabriel cracked open his eyes to stare at a thick blob of black, slowly running down towards the drain like half congealed blood. It stared up at him mockingly, reminding him of everything wrong with his life.

With a curse Gabriel turned on the tap and let it run until no trace of the black stuff remained. His hands shook as he cupped them under the running water to rinse out his mouth just in case.

He returned to the kitchen with exhaustion weighing down his steps, but he concealed it well enough. The first batch of pancakes was done, and already Jack was pushing a plate over the counter towards Gabriel with a smile.

“Hey babe, try one and tell me how it turned out.”

“What am I, your guinea pig?” Gabriel asked but sat down and grabbed a fork. The pancake was delicious, he was sure of it, but his taste buds refused to work properly.

“I’m adding strawberries and bananas to the next few, don’t eat too many or you’ll be full,” Ellie joked. She had never been able to easily eat as much food as her fathers were able to consume on a daily basis, but then she wasn’t a soldier burning up too much energy either.

Jack smiled up at him, looking so much younger than the last few weeks had made him seem.

“Any requests for pancake content?”

“Surprise me, sunshine.”

The two went back to their pancakes as Gabriel chewed on the one he’d been given slowly. He watched Jack and Ellie idly, fork between his lips.

He couldn’t taste much of anything, but it was enough. The price he had to pay was absolutely worth the two people in the small kitchen. Everything he did was for them, more than anything else in the world anymore.

To protect them, Gabriel thought, as Ellie laughed at one of Jack’s stupid jokes, he was ready to burn himself and the world to ash.

 

*

 

Gabriel had never thought that pain could be so bad it could numb every other sensation in his body so completely that he couldn’t even move a finger.

There was concrete and blackness all around him, no matter which direction his head rolled. The sight unnerved him for some reason, but he wasn’t strong enough to close his eyes.

He was vaguely aware that someone was calling his name, that hands were reaching for him, but he couldn’t process the sounds right.

A face came into view, and Gabriel saw blue eyes, wide with panic and framed by blood. These eyes shouldn’t ever do anything but narrow with a smile, Gabriel thought, before the nothingness embraced him.

Then everything was over and he saw nothing at all.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for post Zurich stuff, grief, funerals, and brief flashbacks to the actual explosions

Chapter 14

The moment Isabella first heard the news was a moment frozen in time, encased in a thick layer of ice, numbing any emotion but still letting her experience everything far too clearly, with razor like shards stabbing into her heart and making it hard to breathe.

She couldn’t remember what she had been doing that morning, or what she had meant to do later that day. She was in a hotel room, a cheap one near to her alma mater, she must have been meeting with some former professors to talk about her thesis or something like that, Marco wasn’t there, she wasn’t home. The TV had been on in the background as she was busy doing something else, up until something about the news caught her attention. 

Pictures of her home were on every channel, even the ones not focused on this usually switched to the breaking news. She could only sit on the bed and watch as strangers were reporting on explosions, could see footage from helicopters cut to people far enough away to not have been caught in the explosion. 

Ellie couldn’t recognize anything of the Overwatch HQ, couldn’t connect the pictures she was seeing to the beautiful modern building she had spent so much of her life at.

She sat still, watching in horror, until a camera panned towards the still burning wreckage of concrete and steel, only able to zoom in towards the once lush green area in front of the main building. Where once a statue of her dad had proudly saluted anyone walking past towards the public part of the building was nothing but destruction and a broken pedestal.

Her dad had never liked that thing much, but seeing it destroyed was the jolt Ellie needed to scramble for her phone, fingers shaking with sudden fear.

Had her dad been there that day? She knew the base must have been running on a skeleton crew, could tell from the footage that it was the command wing of the buildings that had gotten the worst of it, and likely were the source of the blast. If her dad was in his room, or in the medical and science wing, or even just out of base, then nothing would have happened, then everything was alright. Surely he was in Zurich or the UN headquarters, not the Overwatch HQ, surely the court martial hearings were good for something, surely, surely-

Over and over Ellie tried calling her dad, until tears streamed down her face, never getting further than the voicemail.

“I just heard the news,” she told the damn machine, hands nearly breaking the case and tears sticking to the screen. She could only hope that her voice was calm and her dad wouldn’t hear that she was crying. “Please tell me you’re ok, it looks horrible on the TV.”

“Please, dad, call me as soon as you can, I know you’re probably being kept busy by this, but just one message is enough.”

“Daddy, please call me and tell me you weren’t on the base today, please.”

She resisted the urge to throw the phone against the wall in her helpless need to do something. There was an ocean between her and home, between her and her parents.

Biting her lip Ellie switched her phone back on, typing a number she knew only she and her dad had. Her papa had always been weird about who could call him on which device, but he had _always_ at least confirmed that he had gotten her message within a few minutes.

She tried, but three minutes in and there was nothing, not even a voice mail, not even a sign of her call going through.

Ellie tossed her phone onto the bed, standing up and pacing, hands mussing through her hair. There had been so many things her parents had taught her. How to behave among politicians, how to get out of any unpleasant situation, how to use any kind of gun in an emergency and how to take out a man twice her size without even breaking a sweat. Neither had ever told her what to do when her world was crumbling before her eyes and she couldn’t even be there to do anything.

“-witnesses have stated seeing Strike Commander Morrison in an argument with notorious Blackwatch Commander Reyes-“

There was a woman with bleach blonde hair on the TV, speaking her fathers’ names with a serious expression and her eyes fixed right at the camera, causing Ellie to pause and actually listen. There was a picture of her papa displayed behind the woman, staring at whoever had taken it with a scowl. He looked angrier on pictures than he ever did around Ellie, when he was nothing but smiles and always had a smirk on his lips.

“First reports confirm that Reyes was seen leading a group of armed rogue agents in an internal rebellion against the Strike Commander, most likely planning to assassinate or incapacitate him and take control over-“

“No,” Ellie whispered, shaking her head as the woman droned on.

“- arguments in the past. Reyes had been known to disregard orders and stand in opposition to Strike Commander Morrison in the-“

“When? Who said that?” Ellie asked, louder this time, as if the woman could somehow hear her and stop with her lies. There had been arguments, sure, but who wouldn’t fight when so much was on the line, when the stress of work threatened to creep into every aspect of their lives?

“No bodies have been recovered from the building yet, but experts believe that both commanders would have been caught in the centre of the blast when Reyes set off one of several explosives strategically placed in-“

Ellie felt her breath catch, felt her throat tighten. It was just a hiccup at first, then a cough, and then she was weeping openly, unable to hold her choked whimpers and the way her knees gave in, forcing her to sit back down. She clutched her hair, trying to cover her ears as the screen blurred in front of her eyes. Ellie hadn’t cried as hard since she’d been a little girl, upset over something stupid.

Her dad had been there, holding her against his chest, arms keeping her safe from the world and letting her cry into his shirt. Her papa had joined soon, hands running through her hair over and over, singing her a song she couldn’t remember, until she’d cried herself to sleep, and then he’d stayed to give her a drink when she woke up and to hold her through the night to keep any nightmares away.

But neither of them was there now.

It was stupid, but Ellie couldn’t help reaching for her phone again, blindly typing her dad’s number.

“Daddy,” she sobbed, unable to try and keep calm for him anymore. “Dad, they’re showing the Swiss base on the news. They’re saying you and papa got killed, that there’s been an explosion and that-“

She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, trying to will her lips to stop shaking.

“They say papa tried to kill you? Why would they say that? Please, please just tell me you’re ok. I don’t care what’s been happening, I just want to hear your voice. I can’t reach papa, please tell me he’s ok, please-“

The news didn’t stop and Ellie couldn’t bring herself to switch the TV off. She sat on her bed, crying and staring, waiting for any sign of Jack Morrison on the screen. There was nothing though, only more and more snippets about the same lie of how her fathers had died fighting each other.

There was much she didn’t know about them, but she knew what kind of people they were. Ellie didn’t know what was going on with her papa, or why he’d been doing all the things that had been going on recently. She had tried talking to her parents, but her papa neatly avoided any questions while her dad sounded exhausted and frustrated. Never outright angry in Ellie’s presence though. She’d only talked to him last week, he’d been fine, he’d said that he and her papa were hoping for some break to relax together for a while, how could he have possibly gone from that to this?

An hour had passed since Ellie had first turned on the TV to see the horror that was threatening to drown her. Her phone lit up and rang, though not with the tune she’d set for either of her parents’ phones. For a second she was too afraid to pick up, dreading people she knew wanting to ask about what had happened. Her friends had always kindly avoided the subject of accusations thrown against her father, but this was a different situation after all.

The chance of this being some information about what was happening outweighed the fear though, so Ellie wiped her cheeks dry with her sleeve and picked up.

“Hello?” she said, voice cracking from having cried so much.

“Ellie! Oh thank god it’s you,” said a familiar voice. “You’ve seen the news?”

“Fareeha?” Ellie sat up a little, relief flooding her. If anyone knew what she was feeling, it was her oldest friend.

“Yeah. Listen, you’re at a hotel, right? Are you alone?”

“Yes, I don’t… It was only supposed to be a weekend trip.”

There was something that sounded like a muffled curse on the other end of the line, and another voice that was too distant to hear through the speaker.

“Ok, are you fine staying alone for another hour or two?” Fareeha asked. “Dad and I got in the car the second we heard. Figured you needed somebody there even if Marco was around. Just stay in your room and pack your things, I don’t want you to be alone, ok? We’ll bring you to dad’s place, is that alright?”

Ellie nodded before remembering to reply with a yes, and told Fareeha the hotel’s adress and her room number.

“I’ll leave the door unlocked for you…”

“Alright. We’ll be there soon, just hang on.”

The numbness didn’t go away, but just hearing her friend’s voice made it easier to breathe. Ellie firmly shut off the TV, and got up on shaky legs. There was no use in watching the same footage over and over again, so she tugged her small travel bag out of the closet and started throwing what little she’d taken out already back inside. It was anything but neat, her dad would have scolded her for it, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

It didn’t take long enough to occupy her time, so Ellie ended up moving into the bathroom. Avoiding the mirror she filled up the sink with ice cold water, and set to getting herself cleaned up and washing away the tears. No need to look like a swollen red eyed monster when Fareeha arrived. People would just end up wanting to know what had happened, and if anyone she knew happened to see her they’d just want to talk…

By the time Fareeha arrived Ellie looked somewhat presentable. She still very obviously had cried recently, but when she glanced into the mirror the woman staring back had a proud set to her jaw, lips pressed tight, and a raw pain in her eyes that would make anyone think twice about approaching her.

“You in there, Ellie?”

Fareeha knocked against the bathroom door gently before stepping in. She looked exhausted, and there was tenseness around her eyes. Just one glance at her and Ellie felt her composure crack. In one quick step she was leaning against her, breathing in the familiar scent of old leather and the spicy perfume Fareeha had favoured since she was a teenager.

She didn’t say anything, just held Ellie tight for a few minutes. It wasn’t the same as her parents being there to tell her everything was fine, nothing had happened to them. But it was enough.

“Can we go?” Ellie asked. “Anywhere I can’t run into people I know.”

“Of course. Come on, dad’s waiting in the car.”

They didn’t encounter anyone in the hallways, and Fareeha had an arm wrapped around Ellie’s shoulder and a strict expression on her face, daring anyone to approach. With her tall stature and her friend’s bag in hand, she looked very much like a bodyguard, and Ellie’s last line of defence against the world. 

Ellie didn’t know if anyone actually tried approach her or even glanced their way once they were outside, refusing to look to the side or focus on anything but the hold she had on her phone.

Fareeha led Ellie to the backseat of an old but well-kept truck, helping her climb inside and handing her a blanket, a giant bottle of some sort of sports drink, and saltine crackers.

“You need to rehydrate since you’ve been crying so much,” she said gently, before moving on to sit in the front.

Fareeha’s dad was ready to drive right away, and he briefly glanced back to give Ellie a reassuring smile.

“Hi Sam,” she said weakly, already feeling drained from the short walk.

“Hey there, Ellie,” he replied, voice way too gentle and making Ellie wish her own parents were there even more.

The soft electric hum of the engine soothed Ellie a little as they drove off, quickly heading outside of the city. Sam turned on the radio, a station with no news stories and alternative rock songs playing in the background.

There was no conversation between them, only Fareeha occasionally looking back at Ellie to ask her if she needed anything or to remind her to rehydrate. After a while Ellie’s phone buzzed with a message from Marco, a ray of light in the middle of unknown numbers and blocked messages.

‘ _Just saw the news. Are you ok Ells? Want me to catch a plane over?_ ’

‘ _I’m ok. Fareeha fetched me. Gonna stay at her dads place, driving there right now_ ’’

‘ _Ok. Please call if you need anything. Love you._ ’

Ellie squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed deeper into her blanket. She couldn’t bring herself to call Marco, even if she wanted to hear his voice desperately. She didn’t know if she could speak, or if she could handle a phone call that didn’t have her parents on the other end.

She didn’t sleep on the way to Sam’s house, just stared out of the window and waited for her phone to ring with her dad’s call. It never came.

When they arrived Sam made tea with honey, handing Ellie a giant mug and guide her to a comfortable couch. They turned on the small TV when she asked for it, but there was nothing helpful on the news either.

It was night in Zurich, and the fires had slowly started to go out. No bodies had been recovered yet, but the first guesses were made that it was unlikely the Strike Commander or any of the traitors who’d set the bombs had survived.

Traitor.

That word came up over and over, until it didn’t feel real anymore. Fareeha was too horrified by what she was seeing to turn off the news, and Ellie felt nothing as she stared at a picture of her papa, angry and exhausted and branded a criminal and murderer on international TV.

Eventually Sam was the one to step in and switch it off.

“There’s no use in watching this now,” he insisted, “Fareeha, go make the guest room ready for two.”

“That’s alright, I can sleep on the couch,” Ellie tried to protest, but Fareeha was already off to fetch blankets and Sam sat down in the armchair in front of hair.

“You can nap here, if you want, but it gets cold in the living room, and even if we don’t know how bad things are yet, it’s not good to be alone when grieving.”

Ellie stared at the phone in her lap, still devoid of any messages she wanted to see.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly, and Sam reached out to rub her shoulder gently.

“It was the least we could do. Now, let me bring you some more tea, alright?”

Fareeha returned just as he got up to fetch more tea, and sat down next to Ellie. When the younger woman leaned towards her she wrapped her arms around her. It was a grounding presence, warm, secure, the closest thing Ellie had to family right now. It was familiar in a cruel way, as she had tried to comfort Fareeha when the news of Ana’s death had reached her, but Ellie had only managed to be there for her a few days after the fact. 

“Thanks for having me here,” Ellie whispered, hands gripping at Fareeha’s shirt and feeling like she needed to say it over and over, as Fareeha tightened her grip. 

“Anything you need, pumpkin,” Fareeha replied, face pressed against Ellie’s hair. 

They sat like that when Sam returned, only untangling to accept more tea. Fareeha didn’t move at all, seemingly fine with bearing Ellie’s weight. She was grateful for it, as she felt too heavy, too weak to move her limbs much. 

There was a steady heartbeat against her ear where she rested her cheek against Fareeha’s chest, and gun calloused hands stroked her hair. She could nearly pretend that she was a little child again, that her fathers were still around. 

Ellie had no idea how the day passed. Fareeha turned off her phone after a while, though she couldn’t even care about why. She must have eaten at some point, maybe somebody had turned on the news. She wasn’t really paying attention that much. Eventually somebody helped her get up and led her to an unfamiliar bedroom. 

She got ready for bed herself, but Ellie was vaguely aware that her body seemed to move on autopilot, as she certainly wasn’t focusing on the motions at all. When she finally crawled into bed Fareeha placed a warm heavy quilt on top of her and moved into bed as well. She was just close enough that Ellie only had to reach out her hand a little bit to touch. Her friend’s presence was a comfort, and Ellie doubted that she would have been able to fall asleep without her keeping guard. 

She slept without waking up that night, but her dreams were filled with storms and smoke, too thick to see through. 

And for the very first time in her life Ellie felt completely alone. 

 

*

 

It was sunny and a cool refreshing breeze blew over the fields of Arlington’s cemetery.

Perfect day to lay a hero to rest, and the last thing Isabella wanted for the day she had to bury her parents.

Despite her best efforts to enforce a private burial, there were too many people, too many cameras in the distance trying to catch a glimpse of the proceedings. Ellie ignored them all, standing perfectly composed in a neat black dress and blazer, her hair tied back in a simple queue. She had simply pretended like anyone she didn’t know didn’t exist, stubbornly resisting any attempts to be spoken to.

Ellie had been to respectful funerals of heroes before, Ana being the last. It had always been full of grief but also joy. There were tales and people recounting everything amazing the deceased had ever done, with a list of all their achievements.

Strike Commander Jack Morrison’s funeral was a simple affair, but it would have been grand, hadn’t it fallen on the same day as the funeral of Gabriel Reyes, former saviour of humanity, now branded traitor and terrorist. His daughter had made sure of that, refusing to let anyone dare mess with their wills that requested their final rest to be near each other. It was hard for them to try and make a grand affair out of Morrison’s, when Reyes was being buried at the same time.

They might have denied Isabella Reyes, but it had seemed wrong to deny Ellie, daughter of the once nearly disgraced but now fondly remembered Strike Commander.

Ellie stood quietly as people in crisp uniforms laid down flags and beautiful wreaths at the headstone of her dad, framing a life-sized portrayed of him when he was just a few years older than she was now, eyes bright and piercing, hair partially hidden by a cap. There was no such thing for her papa, and most funeral goers were unsubtly trying to pretend that grave didn’t exist just as much as Ellie tried to tune out their existence in turn.

Words burned on her tongue but she held them back. She wanted to scream and beg like a little child, but that feeling was pushed down. There was no use in anger, her dad wasn’t there to firmly right the wrong of her papa being treated like that. He was a hero for decades, everyone had loved him. How dare these people pretend like he could ever have tried to kill his husband? Even just on accident, as part of some other scheme.

If Ellie wasn’t so set on ignoring the stuck up military types that were dishonouring Gabriel Reyes like that, she might have been tempted to step up and give them their little speech. She had been asked to do an eulogy, but nothing could convince her to stand up there in front of her friends who believed what everyone said about her father and some strangers, giving a solemn speech about what her dad had meant to the world. What he meant to her. All while pretending that she didn’t have another father.

Ellie felt alone, even among those who were supposed to be her family.

Fareeha stood at her side, beautiful in her new uniform, but her face hard. She had her own issues with this, memories of her own mother’s funeral perhaps, and her bitter feelings towards the entire organisation she had never gotten to join before it was hastily disbanded in the wake of its leaders’ deaths. Ellie was grateful for her presence though, knowing that Fareeha might not have attended the official ceremony if it weren’t for her.

Reinhardt stood like a statue, grief written in his features. He had never really seemed old to Ellie before, but he had left Overwatch since last she saw him and for the first time he looked as if he felt a weight on his shoulders he could not lift. He looked torn, deeply pained, his one good eye fixed on the picture of Jack Morrison, glassed over as he was stuck in his own memories and didn’t know what he was looking at.

Torbjörn had actually put on a suit for the occasion, though he was never one for the official part of things. He had been the engineer, the man who built weapons and then shields to protect, not the one who could be easily bullied in participating in anything public at all. That he had even shown up was thanks to the history between him and the former leaders of the Strike Team. He had pulled Ellie into a hug when they arrived at the cemetery, before walking right off with his face hard in his sorrow.

Angela looked like she had stepped right out of some old painting, glowing and her own sadness making her look strangely beautiful. She had tried walking up to Ellie several times, but each time somebody interrupted her to talk. Part of Ellie was glad, as she didn’t know what Dr Ziegler would say to her. Once Angie had been her hero, but she had barely seen her for years.

Ellie nearly missed the cue to loosen her stance when the eulogies were over and people started to move in to lay flowers at Jack Morrison’s grave. Finally everyone started to break into smaller groups, talking, or walking back towards the exit.

She looked around, sparing a glance towards the journalists in the distance. After the past week of news Ellie half wanted to walk over and break their equipment, just for daring to make a sensation out of her family’s tragedies. She could practically feel the way several lenses focused on her, waiting for the perfect snapshot of the hero’s grieving daughter or the traitor’s angry child.

Turning her back Ellie walked towards where several buckets of flowers stood, looking for the one she had bought that morning before arriving. It was out of the way, and fewer people had gathered there. An older woman stood alone, hands clutching at a handkerchief though she was too proud and stubborn to actually cry. Ellie hadn’t seen her in the crowd before, and part of the armour she’d put on cracked.

“Abuelita!” she nearly called out, closing the distance between them quickly as Evalía looked up.

“Oh, my little angel,” her grandma sighed when Ellie was finally in hugging distance, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tightly.

Ellie allowed herself a moment of weakness as she leaned against her, hugging back just as tightly. It felt like Evalía was the only one who cared for her papa besides her, the only one who came to pay more than the necessary respects.

“How are you my darling?” the old woman asked when she finally took half a step back to look at her granddaughter.

“As fine as I could be,” Ellie replied with a weak smile. “It’s hard to try and ignore people who try to talk bad of papa.”

Evalía let out a breath, face twisting in rage briefly.

“I don’t care what my Gabriel did,” she said, iron in her voice. “If they dare disturb me they will regret it. You too. Whatever else, he’s your father, you don’t go and let anyone speak ill of the dead.”

Ellie shook her head quietly.

“I don’t believe what they say. He would never have hurt dad. _Never_.”

There was a sorrowful look in Evalía’s face at that.

“It’s hard to accept that one’s parents could ever make mistakes or do something bad at all,” she said, cupping Ellie’s face in her hands. “That doesn’t matter though. What matters are your memories of how your father was like in your life.”

“He wouldn’t have made a mistake like _that_ , abuelita… He loved dad.”

Evalía’s eyes were full of sadness as she looked up at Ellie, but at least she didn’t try convince her of it any more. She stepped aside, letting Ellie pass to the flowers. 

“Come on now, let's pay our respects and go have lunch somewhere we can remember our loved ones without being disturbed.”

Ellie picked up the beautiful bouquet of various red flowers, a pop of colour even on this bright day. People stepped out of her way as she walked towards Jack Morrison’s grave, and she was alone in front of it.

Her father smiled up at her from the picture, and it was the Jack Morrison she had seen at work, watched talk to recruits or speak on the news, always admiring him as a child. It wasn’t the same quiet and kind man who came home to cook her the most delicious meals, or who had taken as much time as she wanted to braid her hair and teach her how to do it herself.

Ellie’s hand dug into her pocket and she retrieved a smooth pebble. It was a pretty creamy colour, with specks of white. There had been several like that in her collection at one point or another. She remembered exactly where she had gotten the one that started it too.

She had been six, hair done up in buns and wearing a bright pink swimsuit, giggling as she splashed in the waves at the shore near Watchpoint Gibraltar. Her papa had been asleep in the sun, a little bit away, and her dad had held her hands, raising her up in time with the waves so she could kick at the water.

She remembered how he’d thrown her up into the air, never letting her fall into the cold sea, her hand always in his because he’d promised to teach her swimming slowly and she’d been nervous. She remembered him bending over and picking up a stone to show her, wet and glittering in the sun.

“Look Ellie, it’s smooth like this because the waves carved away any bumps.”

“It’s pretty!”

They had spent way too much time looking for rocks that day, not stopping even when her papa had woken up and asked why they weren’t looking for shells instead.

Ellie couldn’t remember now why she had wanted to collect stones rather than shells or other interesting things. But it had just been something she and her dad had done every time they went to a beach.

Holding back her tears Ellie placed the pebble on her dad’s headstone.

“I’ll see you around, daddy,” she promised.

Then she turned and walked away, remembering that first trip to the beach, flowers cradled in her arms.

There was nobody to step out of the way as she walked towards her father’s grave, just a few people who must have been agents, looking a little forlorn at the situation. There were a few flowers already, but it was a ludicrous display compared to Jack Morrison’s.

Ellie stood before the grave, alone, staring down at the simple name and dates.

“Hi, papa,” she said, voice quivering as she tried to keep herself from crying. Her papa would have cheered her up by distracting her and making her laugh. He always helped her solve problems, but he must not have known what else to do when she was simply upset. Thinking about that now did make her smile.

“I’m sorry they’re not bringing you anything decent. I know you’d want something dramatic, something worth your legacy. Hopefully these will do for now.”

Gabriel had always adored bold colours, had liked how red carried so many different emotions, had liked flowers no matter the kind, as long as their colours were vibrant. The bouquet Ellie set on his grave was one he would have loved. 

“I’ll visit you when there’s less people around as soon as I can,” Ellie said quietly, her fingers tracing her father’s name.

She could already tell that people were whispering about how she’d placed such a large bouquet at her papa’s grave, while seemingly leaving nothing at her dad’s. Let them. She’d just stick to watching shows and ignore the news until the next big story came along to distract them away.

Ellie lingered for a few moments, before getting up to turn around and join her grandma. Instead she came face to face with Angela Ziegler, blue eyes full of sadness and a small bouquet in her hands.

“I’m so sorry, Ells,” she said, voice thick as if she’d cried recently. “I wish I could have been there to do something…”

Ellie stared at her, and then glanced towards the group of Overwatch agents. None of them, not even the former Strike Team, were carrying flowers while looking so genuinely sad.

“Thanks Angie,” Ellie said with a weak smile. “From what I’ve seen on the news you wouldn’t have been able to do much anyway.”

Angela flinched, a strange expression on her face. She must have seen the base in person by now, as she lived close by.

“Still, your father… I owe him a lot. Both of them.”

Her eyes moved to Gabriel’s grave, and Ellie didn’t know if she was adding him or Jack as an afterthought. She didn’t care anyway.

Reinhardt had never been good at keeping his voice down, and in that moment his words carried far enough for the two women to hear.

“- shouldn’t have trusted him anymore after everything. I understand loyalty, but look where it’s gotten Jack! I never thought the day would come that I had to admit that one of my oldest friends turned out to be a traitor-“

Ellie turned her face away, schooling her face back into an impassive mask. Angela had the decency to look mortified.

“He doesn’t mean it… You must understand,” she started hesitantly, realizing that Ellie had heard. “Commander Reyes… he hasn’t been himself for a while. He’s started acting how he pleased without Jack intervening for years, but these last months. Something was definitely wrong. I don’t want you to think that Reinhardt would say such things just because of the news-“

“I don’t really care,” Ellie interrupted her, and Angela immediately closed her mouth.

She paused for a moment, before smiling again. Angela was one of the few who still seemed to respect her papa just a little at least, not painting him as a villain completely. No point in letting her own frustrations out on her.

“Look, I need some time for myself now, but we really have to meet up for lunch at some point, when we’re close enough together. Got my own title now, so our science talks won’t be all one sided for once.”

Angela looked a little hesitant before her lips twitched into a warm smile.

“I would like that.”

Ellie hugged her, only for a moment and Angela tensed up in surprise before hugging back awkwardly.

“See you around, Angie,” she said with a quiet hand wave.

She didn’t stick around to see if Angela actually put down the flowers for her father, walking past everyone without stopping until she reached her grandmother and linked their arms together.

Together they walked away from the ceremony, leaving behind those who had come for the Strike Commander or felt awkward about approaching the one other new grave. As they approached the gates of the cemetery, heading towards Evalía’s car, some reporters tried to approach the two women. 

“Excuse me, Miss Morrison?” the boldest of them said, a young man with hair and clothes artfully dishevelled and a holopad in his hands, ready to write. “My condolences Miss Morrison. Would you mind to give us a few minutes to give us an account of the great men we have lost this week?”

Ellie heard her grandmother’s angry intacte of breath, and she turned towards the flock of journalists trying hard not to see too eager. For a moment her anger at the world and all those who dared to tell lies about her father threatened to boil over, and judging by the way the man in front of her went pale it must have shown in her expression. Then she smiled, her face becoming the perfect pleasant mask of politeness her dad had always worn when faced with journalists or other officials. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “You must have mistaken me. Mrs Morrison is my grandmother, and couldn’t attend today’s ceremony due to ill health. I’m Miss Reyes, and if you would like to interview me I’d suggest you contact me on a less emotionally exhausting day. Now if you would excuse me.”

She led her grandmother away, before the older woman could add anything angry to the situation. The second Ellie was in the car she slammed her door with more force than necessary. She was sure that the moment had been recorded, and that there might be slander about her soon enough, but in that moment she didn’t care. 

She didn’t look back as her grandmother started the engine and drove off. 

 

*

 

After a week of running and fighting to survive turning off the tap of the bathtub was the hardest task yet.

Jack’s fingers kept slipping on it, shaking with shock, dehydration, and not finding any purchase on the soap slick metal. He’d just dumped antiseptic soap into the tub and turned on the water to climb inside to wash off the worst of the grime and blood before finally taking care of his wounds and cleaning the entire mess up again.

His head spun from the exhaustion, even his enhanced body finally hitting his limit. A week had always been the longest he could go without relief from extreme circumstances. Besides, half a bottle of some random whisky and nothing else to eat didn’t do much to help with that either. At least his nose was still somewhat swollen so he couldn’t smell himself or the horrid soap. The combination of blood, dirt, and burned flesh wasn’t a good mix with antiseptics. 

Jack didn’t wait for the water to drain and didn’t search for a towel, simply tugged on some too loose pants and a shirt he found in the shelves. He couldn’t be picky in a safe house that hadn’t been in use in god knew how long. He grabbed his bottle of whisky, and his discarded clothes with the gun. The gun was the only thing he’d brought in that wasn’t visibly dirtied or bloodied. With only that as his defence against potential threats Jack had made sure it would function should somebody try and get him.

He collapsed on the bed, not even crying out as the motion pulled at every stitch. Not his best work, patching himself up. He’d have ugly scars on his face and all over his body for sure, but it had taken him a week to get to a safe house, and Jack barely got the chance to even just clean up on the run.

Didn’t matter.

He closed his eyes for a moment, his body trying to relax but his mind not letting him.

When Jack tried to rest the seconds right before the explosion played through his head.

Gabriel’s angry shouting, his demands that Jack get out of there now, that it was too late. Fear and panic, hands that didn’t look quite human anymore tearing at his coat, pitch black on blue. Red eyes wide with fear, Jack trying to cradle his writhing body, was that before or after everything went up in flames, he couldn’t pinpoint it anymore…

Gabriel…

Jack opened his eyes again and reached for his bottle to screw it open.

Gabriel burned and broken, hand curled around Jack’s even in death. They’d been crushed, thrown away by the blast, Jack somehow shielded from the worst of it and his relief at being alive immediately shattering as he saw the burned flesh and broken limbs of his husband. Stuck under some pieces of concrete, not moving at all besides the eyes that were slowly losing focus but still stared up at Jack. He’d begged for Gabriel to move, to grab both his hands and help him remove the pieces of building that pinned him in place, he’d begged him to just breathe when he cried and tried to wipe off the tar black blood from Gabriel’s lips, feeling him go still-

Jack chugged the cheap whisky as quickly as he could, ignoring how it stung against the freshly patched up cuts as it spilled on his face. He couldn’t think of this right now. He would carry that image in his nightmares for the rest of his life anyway.

It had taken him a week of running and hiding, trying to figure out what was going on in his weakened state after he had finally let go of his dead husband. The first few days was just about staying alive and coherent, the shock of the explosion still ringing through his head. Then it had been hiding, knowing that if people didn’t find his corpse they might try and hunt him down to finish the job.

He needed to actually rest if he was going to stay ahead of them. The sooner he healed up, the sooner he could find proper gear and figure out who had done this to them.

Jack glanced at the pile of clothes he’d dumped next to the bed. He had already ditched the most obvious items that might lead back to the Strike Commander, even if it meant less clothes and less armour. Anonymity would have to be enough protection for now.

But there were things he could keep from that pile.

After another big swig of the liquor Jack reached down to pick up his signed pants. He wouldn’t be able to rest until there was nothing left to do anyway.

There was a chain with Gabriel’s ring on it, the one Jack had gotten him decades ago. It was the only thing Jack had taken before climbing out of the ruins and running for his life. A few coins, a broken pen, his communicator.

It couldn’t be traced ideally, but Jack would have to destroy it anyway. There was nothing on there he needed enough to risk being tracked down when the world was sure he died.

He was about to drop it back on the pile of clothes when a small blinking notification caught his eye. Voicemails in the family folder. There was only one person left alive who could have left these messages.

Jack swallowed thickly as he forced his fingers to tap his code and open them up. He had barely thought about Ellie as he ran, his mind focusing entirely on survival. The pain of losing Gabriel was there, but he knew that his daughter was thousands of miles away, safe and out of the line of fire for sure. He should have realized that she would have tried to call.

The first one opened up and started playing immediately, without giving him any time to brace himself.

 

“I just heard the news. Please tell me you’re ok, it looks horrible on the TV.”

Ellie’s voice filled the silent safehouse, steady but nervous, a little distorted through the recording and the damaged speakers. It was still enough to make Jack feel as if she was speaking from right in front of him, just out of sight. Of course there would have been news. He only hoped the news drones didn’t capture anything too horrifying if Ellie had been watching all of it.

There were several missed calls without a message recorded, and several more with Ellie just asking to call back.

“I know you’re probably being kept busy by this, but just one message is enough.”

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, the device creaking in his hands as the last message opened up.

“Daddy, please call me and tell me you weren’t on the base today, please.”

Tears. She was definitely crying in the last one, voice shaking and shrill, sounding like a child and not the young woman she had become. Crying just like she had as a little girl, when nothing was so bad that her dad couldn’t chase the nightmares away with a hug.

Jack pressed his hand against his eyes, ignoring how it stung against his wounds. Tears had started streaming over his face, across his cheeks and into his hair. He was weeping silently as the messages replayed, one by one as Ellie’s voice grew from worried to downright panicked as she tried to reach her parents.

He had lost everything. Gabriel was dead, buried under ashes and concrete or in some grave Jack would have to find one day. He couldn’t contact anyone without putting himself or his remaining loyal friends at risk. Ellie was forever out of his reach now, thinking him dead and safe as long as he kept the ones who had tried to kill him away from her. He wouldn’t be able to hold her and promise her that everything would be alright until he had hunted down every last traitor who had done this, until he knew what exactly had happened. Maybe not even then.

The bottle slipped from his hand as Jack clutched the communicator to his chest. He couldn’t bring himself to stop the messages from replaying, too desperate for a familiar voice, even if it was full of grief. They shared that pain at least, even if Ellie didn’t know that one of her fathers had survived.

As he ran Jack had thought of just giving up a few times, briefly. As much as he owed Gabriel to avenge him, justice was no use to a dead man. Justice wouldn’t bring Gabriel back, wouldn’t let Jack experience his touches and his soft smile either.

But Ellie…

Even if she didn’t know that he was still around, he couldn’t just leave her. He couldn’t leave a world that had managed to destroy Overwatch so completely while Ellie could possibly be in danger.

The messages played for hours as Jack lay still, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep, his exhaustion wouldn’t let him move at all, and there was nothing but his daughter’s voice around him. He felt as if he didn’t exist at all, as if this was happening to someone else.

Only his grief and the pain of not being able to console Ellie served as a reminder that he really was still alive.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Reaper kills a man with wraith powers in this chapter

The shadow moved through the alleys, neatly avoiding the few streetlights and bright shop windows on its way. Nobody spotted it, even if some rats scurried away and a street cat hissed as the scent of cold ashes and burned leather brushed past.

Rain prattled on steadily, not deterring the crowd doing it's Christmas shopping. Despite the lack of snow the bright displays in the shops did their job to spread the holiday cheer, and families were moving along, chatting and drinking in the drier spots of the small market nearby.

When the shadow reached a narrow gap between two buildings it paused, shifting a little before coalescing into a tall figure wrapped in leather. Claws scraped over wet bricks as the figure took solid shape, finally settling on a man in a dark coat and a skull like mask. The eye sockets revealed nothing but darkness, and yet the mask moved until invisible eyes settled on a shop window across the street.

The figure watched as a man in a warm jacket and a baseball cap opened up an umbrella and stepped closer to the display of an antiquities shop, peering inside. The display and the man both blocked the shadowy figure’s view inside the shop, but there were people moving around, their dark shapes a contrast to the warm lights inside. A bell rang as the door opened, and a child skipped outside, holding a wrapped up parcel.

The shadow cocked his head to the side as he watched the boy, who couldn’t be older than five or maybe six. He looked a lot like the man with the umbrella, and immediately started talking when he spotted what was certainly his father. The door hadn’t fallen shut behind him, and the shadow’s invisible eyes focused on the woman who stepped outside, going rigid.

She was beautiful, with dark eyes and her hair braided neatly. When she smiled at the man with the umbrella dimples appeared on her cheeks, and she stepped closer for a kiss. The boy didn’t seem taken aback by his parents display of affection, preoccupied with the present, beaming about what a good find it was.

The husband hooked his arm around the woman’s, and held up the umbrella over his family. They stuck together as they started walking towards a parking lot, close together and the parents leaning against one another with obvious affection as the boy kept having to pace his steps to avoid running out of the umbrella’s protection and into the rain.

They were, quite obviously, as happy as a family could possibly be and all three of them in good health.

The Reaper didn’t stay to watch until they disappeared out of sight. Instead he turned away and walked deeper into the alley, boots splashing through puddles without really paying attention to any of it.

His path took him deeper into the alleys, neatly avoiding any bigger street and the lights of the December celebrations. He walked until he found a rusted old fire escape that creaked when he shifted into smoke and up onto its steps. It held the Reaper’s weight though, and he walked up until he found a scratched up door that protested when he had to force it open. His claws moved over the boards behind it, until they found a hidden panel that blinked blue before making some concealed mechanism hiss behind the boards before making them move to the side.

Reaper stepped into the dark room and didn’t check to make sure that the door closed behind him. His eyes scanned the darkness easily, finding nothing wrong with the safehouse and moving towards a small kitchen corner to turn on a single lamp over the counter.

It was a tiny but luxuriously furnished place, with marble counters and sleek modern furniture as well as a fridge full of delicacies as well as cans of food meant to last a while. Even those were worlds above what one would normally find in a safehouse though. The perks of being a high ranked Talon operative.

Reaper didn’t care for any of it. He didn’t eat, and the softness of the sheets made no difference to his fitful sleep. The one thing he might make use of was the bathtub, to lose himself in near painful heat and silence for a while. Not now though.

He shifted through the room a few times, trailing smoke in near sentient moving tendrils that snapped at the walls and brushed under the furniture. Once he was satisfied that nothing alive or mechanical was hiding in his vicinity he finally sat down on the couch. Clawed fingers reached into a hidden seam on one of his gauntlets and pulled out a small purple cube, which he placed on the coffee table before him.

For a few seconds it was silent, then it clicked and let out a melodic series of pings. It lit up and a small holographic screen appeared above it, first taking the shape of pixelated mist, before turning into the image of a purple skull. The skull remained, meaning that there was no video feed. At least on the other side, she surely was watching though.

“Hey boss!”

The pleased sounding voice of a woman came from the cube, which flickered subtly as it transmitted the sound.

“Ready for the operation in two days?” Reaper asked, staring at the skull motionlessly. Apart from his low raspy voice that sounded unlike anything a human should speak like, he might be mistaken for a statue.

“And a very merry Christmas Eve to you, too, boss.”

“I don’t have time for this, Sombra. Tell me if everything is going to go as planned.”

A theatrical sigh made the skull pixelate for a few seconds and Reaper heard something that sounded like ice cubes clinking in a glass.

“Where are you?” he asked despite himself. It didn’t matter where in the world Sombra was hiding, if she had access to a network, she could assist him remotely. It wasn’t a high security job he was undertaking after all.

“At a bar, you know, having a drink, watching people,” Sombra replied. He heard the clink again, this time shifting around as if she was gesturing with her glass. “How are you, Gabe? How’s the family?”

Reaper tensed at the use of the dead man’s name, and at her easy guess of what he’d been up to in general. He stared at the skull, unmoving, wondering if she was watching him. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting.

“No snooping around after those people, I told you before.”

“What, can’t let me ask my coworker how his dear d-”

“I asked you a question, Sombra,” he growled.

Again she sighed.

“So did I. But sure, sure. If you must know, everything’s going as planned. Your old friend’s not planning on going anywhere, not even in secret. And the big honchos don’t need any more convincing to let you do whatever you want. Don’t think anyone’s particularly fond of our target. If you say you want him dealt with they’ll just be eager to fill in the gaps in whatever prestigious positions he still had.”

Finally Reaper let himself relax a little. There was a list of those he hunted, those whose souls he didn’t even want to consume, just destroy between his claws. Once he’d had a life, a family, happiness. It had been chipped away at before he even became a monster in earnest, and this quest was the only satisfaction he pursued most days.

Though the dead man’s life would never return to any semblance of happiness, Reaper still took immense pleasure in personally destroying the ones who’d had a hand in making him and the dead man’s loved ones end up like this. A lost life, a dead husband, and an orphaned daughter were reason enough to be cruel, he figured.

The holographic skull was silent for a while, waiting.

“So… how have you been? How’s your other not so secret little mission going?”

Reaper rolled his eyes behind his mask. Sombra wouldn’t stop bothering him about this until he gave in, even if it would only fuel her mockery of him. 

“El… She’s happy. Her husband continuous to be a perfect gentleman, her son is a bundle of energy, they’re done with the shopping just in time… Tomorrow they leave to visit her in-laws and that’s all. You do not need to know more than that.”

A coo made the skull tremble again.

“Aw, look at you, how sweet to keep up with your little one’s life. For a monster that can’t show itself to anyone you’re such a doting father.”

Reaper scoffed and reached for the cube to shut it off.

“Mind your own business.”

“Oh, but I do,” Sombra snickered at the other side, before the cube clicked and the holograph was gone.

Silence filled the room again, and Reaper thought back to the family he’d watched. If he were actually alive, he would have wanted to go to them. Would have quietly let his daughter know that he was alive, that everything was alright. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t face his Ellie as a monster that sometimes fell apart in a heap of pain and smoke. He couldn’t hold her when his fingers itched to twist into claws, couldn’t speak to her when his voice was more like a beast’s than a man’s.

All he could do was make sure she was happy, and occasionally watch from the distance without ever being able to be a part of her life again.

Each time he let his thought linger on her they inevitably shifted to the Soldier. Anger rose in his chest as he thought of the man who was actually alive, who could actually take some of Ellie’s pain away. Even if he lied about what exactly had happened to Gabriel Reyes, the Soldier should have gone to their daughter as soon as he could.

But he hadn’t. Hadn’t even been anywhere near Ellie and seemed to actively avoid any area she might possibly be in, wasn’t even trying to look out for her unlike the monster who couldn’t approach her. That alone made Reaper want to rip the man to shreds.

Reaper growled low in his chest and tucked the cube away before rising and looking around. There was nothing to do for him but wait. None of the entertainment provided was good enough to occupy his mind, and where he once would have set to clean his guns that task was no longer necessary when he could summon his shotguns from smoke.

The bed then.

The leather and metal of his clothes disappeared into nothingness as Reaper stepped towards the bed and crawled under the soft sheets. They wouldn’t really warm him up, and the softness just felt strange to his skin, but it was a lifelong habit to tuck himself in just like that, and even in death he still went through the motions.

There was nobody hunting him in this part of the world, his only real pursuers hiding out somewhere in Egypt. With that in mind Reaper let his body shift until a cloud of smoke started to collect around him, shielding him and blocking his view on anything outside of his own darkness. It was the closest he could come to dreaming without taking the chance of truly losing consciousness and risking whatever his sub-consciousness decided to dish out that night.

Somebody as skilled as the Soldier or as quiet as the Shrike could probably still sneak up on him like this, with both of his former allies knowing his weaknesses too well, but they were half a world away.

Reaper closed his eyes as he let himself reminisce about a time when his body wasn’t a mess of nanites and pain, before the stress and corruption of the world around them had started to destroy everything good in his life. Before the one man he’d ever truly loved became too exhausted to do more than function, taking the beats handed out to him while looking at Reaper full of sadness.

He could nearly imagine being with Jack again, in this half sleep state. Could recall the way sunshine made his eyes and hair look too bright and beautiful to be real, and how Jack’s laugh sounded before his voice got rough from serums and concrete dust. In his mind Jack smiled at him full of affection and took Reaper’s hands in his, twining their fingers together. It hurt to think of how his kisses had tasted like sweets, and how Jack used to smell of him because he would steal his shampoo and lotions.

The man in his dreams was dead, buried in a hero’s grave and mourned by the world, even if half of them didn’t truly care for him at all and wouldn’t even recognize who he had become. He was still a hero, and he was still the man Reaper had wanted to grow old with.

In just a few days he would get rid of another who had contributed to the things that had beaten his love down over the years. In just a few days Reaper would take another life on his list of those who had made Jack’s smile fade away. 

 

*

 

Night time the desert always caught Jack off guard, no matter how many he spent in such areas, especially this late in the year. The lamps in his makeshift room provided heat with the right setting, but the lack of doors in his hideout still let enough wind and chill in to make it an uncomfortable imitation of a bedroom.

Ana’s part of the Necropolis was warmer, blankets and pillows and a better location in general keeping the cold at bay. But Jack didn’t want to be in her company right now. They both had their own grief, and sharing it only ended in a painful reminder of every mistake they had ever made. No, best leave Ana to her own reminiscing. She at least hadn’t left her daughter behind completely on her own, and found comfort in pictures or homely blankets. She had always been good at carrying just enough in her dufflebag to make any temporary base feel like home after all.

Jack took a generous swig from his bottle of cheap liquor, the label not containing a single English letter and the taste indiscernible. He hadn’t really cared much about what he was taking at the time, and he didn’t mind the way it burned down his throat, leaving his legs and fingers weirdly numb. That effect would only last for a few minutes, no matter how much he drank, but at least it was something.

With each shift to try and find a more comfortable position on his cot the dull pain in his back made itself known again. The wound was very nearly healed, but it still ached, especially in the cold and at the end of a tiring day. Usually Jack could shrug off bullet wounds better than this, but the shotgun in question had been the kind created for enhanced soldiers to carry. The power of its blast apparently was also good enough to do some good damage to other enhanced soldiers as well, despite the armour he wore.

Sometimes in his lowest moments Jack would still imagine the man who’s done that to him. Would imagine Gabriel or Reaper holding him despite the blood seeping down his back and soaking through his clothes. It was hard to rip the memories apart from each other to just focus on the good times. Nearly every time when Jack tried to think back to the things that mattered they twisted in his mind. 

He would try to remember Ellie laughing at a dumb joke he told her, but it shifted into the footage of the heartbroken woman looking lonely at his funeral. He would try to remember how Gabriel used to hold him and what his kisses tasted like only to feel the sting of bullets and claws trying to tear at his face.

Jack took another swig to chase away that thought, and was interrupted by the ping of his communicator. He closed the bottle and set it aside carefully before picking up.

“You’re late,” he said, voice laced with exhaustion.

“Had some other obligations,” came the too cheerful reply.

“Alright. Any news, Sombra?” Jack asked, not quite feeling like demanding an explanation. 

When Sombra said other obligations it could be anything from a nap at three in the afternoon to hacking into the most secure systems in the world just because she could. She was there when there was no emergency, or when she had a favour to ask of him to uphold their little deal of information for legwork.

“Sure thing, what news can I incite you with today, old man?”

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his composure.

“Isabella. Tell me everything.”

A sigh came through the line and Jack could imagine Sombra rolling her eyes. They had an agreement, he would do her dirty work and things that needed muscle and firepower, she would provide him with information he needed. The fact that a good chunk of the information Jack wanted was just about the wellbeing of his daughter seemed to bore Sombra a little. It was laughably easy to find out how a civilian woman was doing after all, and the gossip Sombra managed to find had started to grow stale to her.

“Fine. Your little princess is doing as well as ever. She’s going to stay with her in laws in Washington for a few days for Christmas, then return to her research in Boston as always. Only problems she’s facing were trying to decide what exactly to get her little Alex as a present and some faulty technology at her laboratory that won’t be replaced until the new year.”

Jack rubbed his temples and nodded.

“Thanks.”

The holidays were always the worst time for missing Ellie. He had never been apart from her during those days before the explosion had changed everything, always making sure to keep most of December clear of work and with her visiting during her college years. He should be there with Gabriel and her new family, should finally get to meet his grandson and properly introduce himself to his son in law, who he’d only spoken to on the phone before. But he was a wanted man and he couldn’t go anywhere near Ellie until every last one who’d let to Overwatch’s downfall was found and punished.

“Anything else you want to know?” Sombra asked, tearing him from his thoughts once again.

“What’s the price?” he asked, knowing that Sombra didn’t just hand over her time for free.

“Nothing right now, it’s been quiet and I’m feeling generous today. See it as my present to you.”

“I see… Is there any new Talon movement we need to know about? Or Reaper’s?”

There was a pause and Jack heard her nails clack against a hard surface for a moment. It sounded very much like hesitation rather than Sombra being a tease while deciding what to share.

“Reaper will be in New England for another day or two. I don’t know where he’ll decide to go after he’s done with whatever business he has there. Sorry, old man.”

Jack sighed and nodded. There was no way he’d have time to intercept Reaper there, and that information was virtually useless. At least he knew that his estranged husband was out there again. He’d disappeared off the map for a while since their last encounter.

“That’s alright, he’ll be somewhere else eventually.”

“Sure. Anything else you want me to find out?”

“No, nothing unless something comes up till our next call.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know when that is. See you around,” Sombra replied.

“See you around. Oh and Sombra?”

“Yes?”

“Have a merry Christmas,” Jack told her quietly. It felt good to say it to someone, after years of never being alone during the holidays at all. He missed being able to say this to a young woman who never minded teasing him in turn.

There was a pause before Sombra laughed.

“Happy Holidays to you, too, old man,” she said before disconnecting the call.

Jack’s lips twitched in an approximation of a smile, before he put his communicator away. Hearing news from Ellie was simultaneously a relief and a thorn in his heart, steadily pushing deeper. On good days he could convince himself that he would one day be reunited with her. On bad ones he was sure that he wouldn’t live long enough to see his goals through, and that maybe his death would be at the hands of the man he still couldn’t stop loving.

With another sigh Jack reached for his bottle to open it back up. And then Ana wondered why he kept going back to drinking.

 

*

 

The Helion building stretched up into the sky, the glow of it’s light installations visible even during the day, blue and white standing out against the snow clouds above. It was relatively slim, with no hard edges on the outside was the style of modern buildings of the past ten years sported.

Security was decent, for a building that contained various offices on the lower floors and private rooms further up. Somewhere between the public and the private section there was more security, Reaper was sure of it.

Not that it mattered to him, as he shifted into smoke and slid past any security cameras with laughable ease. The building was very nearly deserted in the last week of the year, with most of it being shut down. The poor sods who had to deal with whatever rush the holiday brought were holed up in their offices, janitors and cleaning staff wasn’t around at this time, making it easy for Reaper to slide through deserted hallways and maintenance staircases.

When he reached the private offices and city apartment of one E. Montgomery, ACR Head of Security, he dropped the wraith form. It was hard to keep it up, even when he had no enemies to focus on, and he needed his strength to keep his shape solid for what was to come.

Sombra had given Reaper a detailed plan of how to get inside Montgomery’s private rooms without a hassle. As someone who frequently cooperated with Talon for a hefty sum of money, as well as other criminals, Montgomery had wisely made sure that shady people in the know could get to him unseen. 

Good for business - but not anymore.

Reaper was silent as he drifted through the penthouse, listening to noises all around him. There was the sound of some of the staff in their breakroom, having a good time despite needing to be at work this late. He ignored him, as they wouldn’t even be witnesses to what he planned if Montgomery was where he thought the man would be.

The lights inside the private office were on, visible through the milky glass walls. A young woman in a prim suit sat at a desk in front of it, looking quite tired. She snapped into a proper position the second she noticed movement, ready to be professional, but the shock of seeing the Reaper had her stiffen.

“Are you here on-“

“Leave,” Reaper told her. “I have business with your boss.”

To her credit the secretary didn’t shake as she got up and grabbed her handbag. She moved past Reaper with her eyes firmly on the door, deliberately not looking at him any further. He waited until her steps disappeared down the hallway, wondering how often the woman had witnessed Talon operatives come and go while desperately trying to forget their faces.

A civilian like that in the very sanctum of Montgomery’s crime filled dealings… It was a wonder that he had lasted as one of Talon’s connections for so long without pulling some scorn. Or perhaps not, with the lack of any proper leadership Talon had enjoyed for several years.

Reaper entered the office quietly, if the room behind the glass could even be described as such. There certainly wasn’t any working getting done in such a place.

The room was as large as the smaller cafeterias in some Watchpoints had been, with several elegant couches arranged for visitors to be able to enjoy the paintings and various smaller art installations displayed in the room. A cabinet filled with expensive liquors stood near an enormous office table, and a section of the floor was slightly elevated along the walls that were entirely made of glass.

Montgomery sat in a plush leather armchair by one of the windows, a glass of scotch in his hand. For a man in his late fifties, who had never had to do physical work a day in his life he seemed quite healthy. Dark hair had started to recede and the grey strands hadn’t been dyed away, possibly to give him a distinguished appearance, and he was soft and short in shape.

He looked up surprised as his door slid open, but school his face into a pleasant smile the moment he recognized Reaper. He was the perfect picture of the sort of smarmy businessman that Reaper had tried to avoid dealing with his entire life.

“Ah, unexpected visitors, how lovely,” Montgomery said, rising to his feet. “I didn’t expect any of my friends at Talon to show up before the new year! Come on in, would you like a drink?”

Reaper stood still as a statue as he gestured at the bottle of Scotch he’d been enjoying alone before. Then Montgomery dropped his hand with a chuckle.

“Oh I forgot, you are the one who doesn’t need any of the vices the living prefer.”

Reaper watched as he set down his glass and stepped to his office desk, hovering near his chair but not sitting down while his guest stood, hands folded in front of his body.

“Now, what can I do for Talon?”

“Do you know why I’m here?” Reaper asked softly.

Montgomery raised his brows a little, his smile never faltering.

“I was expecting some planning for weapon deliveries for the next quarter of course. Unless there are any special transports that need my urgent attention?”

Smoke billowed from the edges of Reaper’s coat slowly as he started moving towards the desk with deliberate steps, body swaying like a cat’s moving in on his prey. He could see the confidence in Montgomery’s face, the utter lack of fear in the air. For that alone he would have moved in on a man so much lower in the Talon pecking order, re-establishing his position lest anyone thought he was going soft, but today fear was what he had come for specifically.

“What makes you think there’ll be a next quarter for your little train contrabands?”

At this Montgomery frowned, a flicker of displeasure on his features. Still no fear, and now he was slowly starting to tilt his head up to actually stare Reaper in the eye.

“Do you not need any more deliveries?”

“Why would we want them?” Reaper was standing just one foot away from him now, smoke creeping around Montgomery’s legs. He was too preoccupied with Reaper’s words to notice quite yet. “When your last special mission was such a total disaster?”

He must have struck a nerve as there definitely was anger in the businessman’s face.

“I have discussed this with several of your superiors,” he snapped, politeness gone now that Reaper had questioned his work and sense of self-importance. “One outlaw sneaking onto the train and taking out several of your trained men was an unforeseen occurrence and won’t happen again! This is old news already, I’ve done good work since!”

Reaper reached out and ran his clawed fingertips over Montgomery’s tie and up to his collar. Now _there_ was the taste of fear in the air.

“Good work? Sloppy, you mean. Your successes are in no way by your merit, and your mistakes… lets just say that I would never have let such blunders happen if you were in an organisation under _my_ lead.”

“Your lead?” Montgomery hissed, not flinching back even as cold metal claws brushed against his chin briefly. He knew how to bluff, Reaper had admit that. “But you are just a mercenary, aren’t you? What do you know about leading anyone? My work has been good enough for the ones who pay you! Do you know how many times I have been investigated? Nobody ever managed to produce any reason to really dig in that I didn’t solve by being clever or knowing who could pull a string or two for me!”

“Do you really not know who I am?” Reaper purred. The smoke was starting to crawl up all along Montgomery’s body, wrapping around his neck and wrists, keeping him in place if he somehow tried to bolt. Not that he would be able to escape anyway.

Montgomery finally started to catch on that he wasn’t getting out of this situation unharmed.

“You can’t do this, I’ve done- my work for Talon has always been impeccable! Your bosses wouldn’t just send you like that!”

Reaper grabbed his face with one hand, gripping tight.

“It’s not that they sent me. It’s that my _bosses_ decided that you’re no longer good enough to _mind_ if I do this.”

Montgomery struggled against the tendrils of smoke, his heartbeat picking up loud enough for Reaper to hear. He loosened his grip, but only enough to send the man stumbling backwards to the floor.

“What do you want, what- I can pay you if you just-“

“You can’t pay off the Grim Reaper.”

The mask dissolved as Reaper towered over the man that had been a thorn in his side for years. His face was a wreck, he knew, with sharp teeth and shifting decaying skin and too many eyes that he could call forth when needed. Still recognizable as the former Commander of Blackwatch. Still recognizable to Montgomery, who had spent way too long gloating about how untouchable he was.

“You see,” Reaper said, his lips pulling back to reveal the shark like teeth he had given his appearance that day. “I spent so _long_ wasting my time to try and dismantle your and other worthless cockroaches that band together under Talon’s skirts in a way that would let the cavalierly take you out nice and neat and easy. Of all the things that went wrong when I was still alive, you might have been low on the list.”

He leaned forwards, claws running down Montgomery’s sweaty face.

“But why am I going after you, if there’s still so many others that ended my life and happiness much more directly, you might wonder?”

The wide grey eyes staring back at him never left Reaper’s mutilated face, but he didn’t want the man to move anyway.

“I’ll tell you. It’s cause the shit you caused to go bad in my life… well, it’s not business. It’s personal.”

Montgomery let out a whimper as the situation really caught up to him.

“But you’re dead. I saw- Everyone knows you-“

The points of Reaper’s claws dug into Montgomery’s skin, not hard enough to draw blood but the razor sharp pressure was enough to keep the man from speaking again. Smoke poured from his mouth as he grinned.

“Yet another one of your certain plans that fell through? The man who kept trying to sniff out your secrets dead, just as the girl you tried to take being in your grasp? I must say, you do have a talent for shoving enough people between you and your dirty work that I didn’t even consider. You found somebody who genuinely was trying to hurt the Strike Commander, so much so that I never realized that you paid them a little extra to kidnap his daughter and cover for a few more weapons? Not too much to be noticable though? It was personal enough for your men that they didn’t care about ratting somebody out who provided funds selfishly? Ingenious. You can be proud of yourself. You very nearly got what was dearest to me.”

“Please,” Montgomery wheezed out, trembling in his effort not to make a move lest the talons against his head sliced his face open. “I never… I wouldn’t have ordered anyone to hurt her, I just wanted to-“

“Wanted to show me who’s really pulling the most strings? Wanted to shove me down a notch?”

Reaper’s grin turned wider than a human mouth should stretch. Then in one fluid motion he let go of Montgomery’s face and grabbed his jacket, throwing him against the window with a resounding thud.

The window did not get so much as a crack, but Montgomery howled in fear as he hit the glass and then dropped to the floor.

“Please,” he cried again. “I’ll do anything you want, anything, just tell me-“

“Maybe,” Reaper said, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his arms. “But I’m not sure I care much for the promises of somebody who sells weapons to child soldiers in gangs and abducts little girls. Not even I have sunk so low.”

His smoke tendrils curled around Montgomery’s throat loosely, and _pulled_. He didn’t know what was happening to him yet, but Reaper could see the faint orange glow coalesce over his chest as he tugged at his soul, slowly and painfully.

Montgomery didn’t scream as Reaper sucked out his life, just clawed at the expensive carpet of his office uselessly, trying to get away.

When there was nothing left in his husk of a body Reaper felt a strange calm settle in his bones, one deeper than the satisfaction of stealing a soul right out of a man’s body. He didn’t waste another look around as he turned on his heels, walking back towards the door with his steps feeling lighter than they had in quite a while.

He still needed to return to his safe house to really enjoy his little mission’s success. But already the buried parts of his former self were revelling in finally getting to cross that name off his list.


	16. Chapter 16

The new Overwatch was more trouble than it’s worth, and yet the little ragtag group of agents somehow made the life of Talon operatives so difficult that Reaper was sent in as a backup on what should have been a routine mission.

Break into a facility once protected by Helix security but now dismantled, get a copy of the newest research that nobody even knew was something certain Talon members might want and thus went ignored, get out. It shouldn’t have even been enough to cause a fuss, perhaps something that needed quick thinking and last minute distractions to get it done.

Instead there were a handful of kids who easily kept the troop sent by Talon at bay, with Sombra quietly cursing at the unexpected amount of new agents, as several of the new members had apparently decided to tag along without any information about that making it into the communication back to base. She couldn’t exactly get her hands on information that had never gone through a digital transmission.

Reaper had been sent as insurance initially, and he would have enjoyed staying back and watching the mess unfold. Each of the new members of Overwatch had a different background, causing the overall fight style to be an incomprehensible mess when confronted with it all of a sudden. Most trained Talon grunts didn’t know how to deal with the mass of self taught combat styles. It was nearly the same as it had been back when the Strike Team had first been assembled, with Omnics struggling to figure out how to counter a group of yet unseen genetic enhancements, Egyptian sniper technology, and a reckless Crusader’s raw power along with other skilled professionals. The mission wasn’t important enough to interfere while his allies held their ground somewhat, and Reaper took the chance to try and figure out the people he might face off against one day.

The presence of the vigilante known as Solider: 76 put a stop to his quiet observations. It was a little surprising to hear it over the comms, as Reaper had been certain that the disgraces Strike Commander would have wanted to keep as far away from his former colleagues as possible to avoid detection or the emotional fallout of confronting them.

It didn’t matter why he was there though, and Reaper was already moving towards his last reported location before the command to do so even reached him.

He was the only one who could take on a supersoldier like that, and the Soldier was the only one who could really help turn the tide of this confrontation. Going in alone might still be risky, but as long as the Reaper could keep him occupied the Talon troopers would stand a chance.

A trail of smoke slipped through the corridors of the abandoned facility, finding a disused hangar. The sound of the fight carried over even here, though it was still quite a bit away. Reaper’s eyes found the Soldier quickly, where he was moving over walkways high above the ground. His feet barely made a sound and he might have been hard to spot from where Reaper knew his allies to be, but not for a wraith sneaking up behind him.

Within seconds of spotting him Reaper was upon him, materializing his shotguns as he let himself drop down towards him. This time the Soldier didn’t let himself be caught off guard so easily

The Soldier spun around and fired, ripping the leather of Reaper’s hood as the heat of missiles brushed passed his face and threw him off balance just as his feet connected with the Soldier’s chest. He toppled them both to the hard metal grid of the walkway, causing it to creak under the sudden force.

Both his shotguns aimed at the Soldier below him, the blasts missing as he was thrown back by the impact of a heavy pulse rifle to his face. Reaper heard the crack of his mask as his shotguns were beaten from his claw tipped hands, and then the clatter as they were kicked off the ledge and down to the ground below.

With a snarl Reaper lunged forwards, half blinded by the hit. Jack Morrison was perhaps the only man alive able to keep up in a fight with the wraith, and the only way to get this over with quickly was to play dirty.

Instead of trying to go for the rifle or trying to materialize new shotguns quickly enough to fire, Reaper went for a physical attack. He managed to get enough leverage to kick the Soldier in the sternum, throwing him off balance just long enough to grab his right arm, claws digging through the tough material of his jacket as his other hand shot up to grab at the small area where the Soldier’s throat and neck were unarmoured.

Claws ripped the material there as well, the sharp tips resting against skin and pining the Soldier in place. Reaper could slice his throat easily, if the Soldier didn’t move quick enough to throw him off, and that would mean surrendering his rifle, which was now hanging off the ledge in his grip. Useless for now, as any movement would mean worsening the injury caused by Reaper’s claws on his arm.

“Wouldn’t have guessed that you’d try to fight along with the monkey’s new Overwatch,” Reaper hissed, staring at the visor that hid most of the Soldier’s face. He still could see that it was twisting in rage from what little of his eyebrows was visible.

“Someone’s gotta protect the kids from you lot,” the Soldier growled, voice slightly distorted by his mask.

Reaper bared his teeth, the sharp edges a terrifying display if his expression hadn’t been hidden by his mask.

“Is this what you tell yourself to sleep at night? That the _kids_ need protection? Is this why you run around beating up thugs and hiding in abandoned houses to sleep rather than take care of your _own_ kid?”

He knew he hit a sore spot as the Soldier stiffened under his knee, trying to buck him off.

“But it’s easier that way, isn’t it?” Reaper went on, an entirely different kind of anger rising in his chest than the one he’d felt before. “You’re finally free to do what you want, and if you’re lucky, you’ll end up justifying the hours she spent mourning your death. Looks like fortune’s smiled upon you, Jack. You might just get that wish today.”

“Look who’s talking,” Jack hissed back. His arm strained under Reaper’s grip, and blood was running down his hand and onto his rifle. “Instead of trailing her and putting her in danger by your presence for nothing you could at least let her know that you’re alive.”

“I am dead,” Reaper said, voice dangerously low. He hadn’t felt such heated anger in a long time, not even when he killed the ones who had hurt him when he still lived.

He stared down on his husband’s face as his hand tightened and dug his claws deeper into his arm. Here he was, having the longest conversation with him in years, ready to kill, and all he could think of was to throw accusations regarding their daughter at him. He couldn’t breathe as his chest constricted, and if Reaper was still alive he was sure he’d be choking for air as his anger cut it off.

Jack didn’t make another attempt to buck under Reaper’s hands, though his arm was tensing in pain. Just passively staring up at him, waiting. As he had before. Years of doing nothing and not letting Reaper do what was necessary to keep all of this from happening. All of the things that had gone wrong, all because Jack had just sat there, doing _nothing_.

“See,” Reaper said, voice trembling with his barely contained rage. “Easy to blame me, as if I don’t need to make choices because _you_ failed. If you had spent even one moment to stop sitting there and smiling like Overwatch’s golden poster boy… Face it Jack, you’re just blaming me for things that are _your_ fault.”

Jack was still for a few moments, and Reaper was certain that he had broken something in him, when suddenly he let out a growl that sent a shiver of primal fear down Reaper’s spine.

“Coward,” Jack roared, and with one fluid motion he brought his arm up, aiming his rifle even as Reaper heard the sound of tearing flesh. Then he was thrown back as Helix rockets hit him in his stomach from inches away, the recoil sending Jack sliding across the floor and pushing Reaper off and over the rails.

He barely had the presence of mind to force his entire body to dissolve before he hit the ground twenty feet below. The nanites in him shrieked with energy, swallowing up the scream of pain he had no throat to form in. Reaper already knew that he hadn’t dissolved quickly enough to avoid the full force of the shot and get away unscathed, and he was already flying over the concrete floor, driven more by instinct and the machines in him than conscious thought.

The few seconds he allowed himself to coalesce into his body the pain was enough to dissolve his body blow the chest instantly. The impact from such a close range had messed with the machines, and Reaper already knew that he wouldn’t win this fight if he turned around. The Soldier could use his other arm to shoot if he needed, but Reaper couldn’t fight with his entire energy being drawn to the injury in his stomach.

As he retreated and flew across snowy mountains he was vaguely aware of comm chatter in the brief moments the nanites’ feedback didn’t drown out that noise. His team had failed even before the Soldier had joined the fight, it seemed, and he could hear something about the information of his defeat being relayed back to base.

There was an inquiry about whether he needed support or medical attention, but Reaper merely snapped back that he didn’t need any of that fake concern.

He didn’t need medics to look him over, not when the pain and anger were making it hard to keep his body in shape, not when the pain of the confrontation ran deeper than just the shot.

Hours passed before Reaper found the tiny little safehouse he had used before. It was one of Blackwatch’s, nowhere near as luxurious as Talon hideouts, but better than anything he could have wanted in that moment. It had a bed, on which he collapsed with a groan.

The leather peeled off his body as he took shape, the nanites in his blood quickly numbing any feedback from the area where the shot had hit. Reaper let out a groan as his nerves stopped providing him with any sensation below the chest, and already he felt exhausted beyond belief as his body set to fixing the injury.

The words he’d thrown at Jack were ringing in his ears, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to drown them out. Years had passed, and still Reaper couldn’t do better than the yell and throw accusations that were meant to hurt more than to fix what had gone wrong.

And then Jack had called him a coward…

He cracked open his eyes to look down at his stomach. His skin had turned grey around the area of the impact, and everything else was a mess of twisting black smoke as his flesh was knitted back together. It wasn’t something a normal human body went through.

Reaper half wished that he had stayed to heal then, somewhere the Soldier could find him. Perhaps seeing him for the monster that he was now would make him reconsider his accusations.

As if anyone would want their father to show up like this, a creature that was no longer alive and turned into a mess of smoke and the smell of burning flesh when hurt. At least he was _trying_ to see if Isabella was happy with her life.

At least he wasn’t the one hiding away from a life he could still return to.

 

*

 

The broken pieces of crates and twisted metal trailed down the hill into the river, where the water was already pulling some of the worst debris away. Far up above the bridge spanning the river stretched on, with the sounds of cars and the train speeding away could still be heard.

It seemed that nobody had noticed the minor explosion in the cargo section of the train, or the objects bursting out of it. It would probably only be noticed once the train stopped and somebody saw the hole blown in the side.

Though his wraith abilities had cushioned the fall somewhat, Reaper still felt unsteady on his feet as he got up slowly, first on his knees and then dragging himself up with his claws digging into what must have once been the train’s door. He hissed, feeling his body knit itself back together where he had bruised and scratched. It took longer than usual, with his nanites still not fully recharged from taking a blast to the guts at close range little over a week ago. He hadn’t been in the mood to track down sources of energies to help out with that.

Reaper’s eyes scanned over the area, taking in his surroundings. Other than the pieces of wreckage it seemed weirdly idyllic, with the river behind him and a hill slope up ahead. Flowers and tall grass grew on it, rising up steeply enough that walking up or down would be hard right under the bridge. Even the rush of cars above was barely noticeable at the distance.

Then he spotted the one other victim of the minor blast.

A few pieces of wood sticking straight up from the ground obscured the figure, but the movement had caught Reaper’s eye. He watched as the Soldier shifted, obviously still alive though the ground would have hit him harder than Reaper. A groan reached Reaper’s ears from that direction, so he stepped forward, moving through the tall grass in a whisper soft motion, hands ready to grasp his shotguns for a fight or to finish the job.

His objective had been to track down a bunch of hostiles who’d been trying to cross the border in a train, not hunt down and kill a vigilante. But one couldn’t get far in life without grasping opportunities when they presented themselves.

Reaper didn’t know what made him pause as he stepped around the pieces of wood to take in the Soldier’s form.

Maybe he had hit his head harder than he thought, or perhaps the nanites were messing with him for forcing them to work overtime. Maybe it was seeing a familiar face, stained by blood and twisted with pain for the first time in years that made him act on instincts he had thought were left behind with his life.

Jack’s teeth were clenched, stained red from where he’d bitten his lip in the fall, and blood trickled down from his hairline. The visor lay unclasped near his head, leaving his face entirely exposed, and judging from the gulping breaths he was taking he had done so on purpose.

The rifle had fallen out of reach, Reaper noticed, even if he were to twist and leap for it, it simply was not close enough with his opponent as quick as Jack was.

Jack’s eyes found Reaper’s for the first time in seven years, as clear and fierce as they had always been, and he stilled, his body going taunt. He was aware of his situation, and how bad his chances were right now.

He didn’t move, tensed up as a snake ready to strike, as Reaper approached and sank into a crouch by his side.

Reaper really should have reached for his shotguns then, but instead his hand moved to the familiar sight of the canisters attached to Jack’s arm, always within easy reach. He plucked one off its secure fastening, aware of Jack’s eyes boring into him even as he focused on the biotic emitter.

It popped briefly as Reaper squeezed the small latch on its side, and expanded its little legs. When Reaper placed it on the ground it pulsed, and then they were surrounded by a circle of gold, the familiar relief of warmth spreading through his body even though his nanites buzzed with the unfamiliar sensation.

Jack, thankfully, didn’t say anything as he continued to watch his enemy heal him rather than simply get on with it. They had been fighting and throwing punches just minutes ago after all. If he had commented on this, then perhaps Reaper would have snapped out of the foolishness.

There was no reliving memories of his past dead self. There was no fond recollections of hundreds of times they had done this, one of them lying back in pain, both basking in the biotic field’s healing aura.

If he were as clever as he thought he was, then Reaper would have gotten up then and there, leaving his once upon a time husband behind. He would pretend that this moment had never happened.

But he remained, and after a while the cut on Jack’s forehead stopped bleeding. He didn’t move as Jack reached out to trail his hand along his claw tipped fingers, until they were twined together.

“We’re a bunch of idiots, aren’t we?” Jack asked softly.

His voice was much more rough than Gabriel remembered it, as if he had inhaled smoke recently. It was jarring to see his face move and his lips shape words after so long, but he nodded.

It was just like all those times, back when things weren’t nearly as bad, when they hadn’t been _perfect_ , but they still had each other. They had come up with that rule, when their arguments got more vicious and their words aimed to hurt and not convince anymore.

When they were together, just the two of them, in their bedroom or somewhere just for the two of them. A place where nothing mattered, nothing at all of all the things of the world outside. None of the arguments, none of the hurt.

And before that, before they had even known what it was like to be angry at each other, when Gabriel would sneak into their shared too small space with a biotic field because they were tired and living in hell and deserved a little bit of time to just be…

It was like tasting wine after years of self imposed denial. The first trickle of familiarity swelled and broke into a flood, making Gabriel forget what he was even supposed to do here for the moment.

The circle of the biotic field was barely wide enough for either of them to stretch out in it fully, but it still was providing a bubble in which none of the past years had happened. It was just like before, where their problems and the things they couldn’t solve melted away to be picked up once they left. It wasn’t their bedroom, it wasn’t even any place they’d ever been before, and yet it was just the same.

Gabriel felt Jack’s hands brush against the sides of his mask as he leaned over him, bodies close enough to feel each other’s warmth despite the layers of leather between them.

Those layers were shed quick as a thought, Jack’s more cumbersome than they were worth, and then Gabriel finally felt warm skin press against his own half dead one. He nearly sobbed as he nuzzled his head against Jack’s throat, breathing in the familiar scent of home and reeling at the sensation of a soft touch against skin. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had done so.

Jack’s hands grasped at his arms, his back, anything they could reach, both of them chasing touches after so many years of starving for contact.

If there were any last doubts about what he was doing on Gabriel’s mind, they shattered apart with Jack moaning his name softly under his touches.

Down under a bridge, with quickly healing injuries and by a nameless river was perhaps the worst place for this kind of reunion. But it didn’t matter.

_It didn’t matter._

For a few hours everything would be fine, everything would be within the small circle of truce and peace they had drawn, even after the biotic field extinguished.

And if afterwards they would walk away, never speak of it to anyone, pretend they had never seen each other at all, then that was just part of the truce.

And if that truce was a repeat offence of pretending like there was no fight or war…

Then that was just what they had always done.

 

 

*

 

Jack felt at once numb and painfully aware of the marks on his skin, the spots where a too soft touch had lingered just a moment too long to hide the yearning. The sheets felt scratchy against his oversensitive skin, but he couldn’t be bothered to reach down to the floor where his clothes lay to put anything on and block of that sensation.

There were no windows in the room, and skipping from continent to continent so much recently had messed with Jack’s internal clock. He figured it must be just little under an hour away from dawn. Fitting, given the current circumstance.

He angled his head back just enough to see the figure standing by the bed, facing away from Jack just as Jack was facing away from him where he lay in bed. The Reaper made no sound as he fixed his belts and secured his gauntlets in place, a faint glint running over the claws of his gloves each time he moved his hands.

Even without his guns in sight, it should have put Jack on edge to see the mercenary in full armour and with these claws, while he himself was completely bare and defenceless, his rifle just out of reach the way he was lying with one arm under his pillow.

“Do you have to be anywhere?” Jack asked, his voice rough from disuse and the night of using it too much behind him.

Reaper paused, looked up but not turning to face Jack. He knew what the question meant, had ignored it several ill-advised meetings before.

“I can’t stay,” he said finally, his voice the strange distorted rasp it tended to be these days. “I shouldn’t have been here to begin with.”

Jack closed his eyes, sighing. As if he needed any more reminders about how this wasn’t old times anymore, of how much both of them had changed.

“Can’t, or won’t stay?”

Finally the Reaper turned his head, impassive mask staring at Jack. He was still as a statue, and yet Jack hoped against all reason that there was something tender hiding behind the shadows where the eyes should be.

“I have things to do,” Gabriel sayed, his voice losing a little bit of the strange distortion his condition gave him. “Things that you will attempt to stop. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t shoot me to stop me if we crossed paths in a situation like that.”

Jack didn’t reply, remembering the ache in his back and the blast of shotguns, remembering a monstrous scream and the recoil of his rifle knocking him back as he watched the Reaper fall away from him. Sometimes that felt more real and right than how things should be between them.

The moments when they stopped being ghosts on some sort of desperate mission for revenge just to be together and ignore anything else between them, as they had once done years ago, felt like bubbles in time. Not the healthiest thing to do, to pretend like they were alone in a world of no consequence, but it was easy to fall back into that when the longing and sorrow got too strong. Even if it felt undeserved, and their fights against each other were a new reality now.

“You could stay though,” Jack said quietly. “Just pretend a little bit longer.”

He hated how desperate and weak he sounded. Only an hour ago he had been filled with ecstasy and Gabriel’s touches, completely undone, but slowly the wall between them was rising up again, and they had started shifting back into their new personas, and their new relation. Jack could be as vulnerable as he wanted in those moments, but the Soldier couldn’t show any sign of weakness in front of a Talon operative.

Reaper observed him for a few more moments, and Jack wasn’t sure if he was being pitied or seized up to use his pain against him later.

“Pretend,” Reaper said softly.

He shifted, turning towards Jack, taking a step towards him. He reached out his hand and Jack didn’t flinch back, risking an attack. Instead of that the tips of Reaper’s claws ran along his face gently.

“We’re just pretending. You know things can’t ever be like they were. The old us have died, one day we’ll have to let them rest.”

Jack covered Gabe’s hand with his own, leaning into his touch.

“We can still make it work.”

“Would you be able to reconcile us with what either of us is doing right now?” Gabriel asked softly.

Jack didn’t reply, unsure of what to say. He didn’t know how a reconciliation could even be possible and after a few moments of silence Reaper pulled his hand free, turning to mist.

“Didn’t think so.”

Before Jack could say anything else he had shifted completely into smoke, curling through the dim light of the room and then slipping through the door. Then he was alone.

With a sigh Jack let his hands drag over his face before falling back against the pillow. For a few hours he let himself forget that things were broken between them. That they were both too fucked up to even begin trying to mend what had cracked.

God.

He really needed a drink.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you might notice that the chapter count went up. It's because this chapter was so massive, we decided on a split after all. Enjoy~

Numbani was a busy and bright city, full of life and people walking around even when Jack figured any sane person should seek shelter from the heat. Still the streets were full of humans and Omnics alike, going about their business even if the locals clearly were aware of the early autumn not bringing any relief from the sun yet. They merely ignored it.

Humans hurried through shadowed parts of the wide streets, dressed in light flowing fabrics and carrying cold refreshments of various kinds, or fanning cool air at their faces. The Omnics were mimicking that behaviour mostly, though Jack wasn’t sure if they actually felt the heat properly. He had never thought to ask. But then he had never talked to Omnics in climates as uncomfortably hot as this.

At the very least it wasn’t humid.

Jack was just another foreigner in a city full of all sorts of people. Nobody paid much attention to him, not even when they noticed scars on what little of his skin was exposed. Scars were normal on a man his age.

He wore light pants and a red and black jacket made from some kind of linen, not as bright as some of the fashionable locals, and certainly nowhere near as good a protective gear as he would prefer in case of an emergency. Translucent orange and yellow sunglasses rounded everything up, looking like a pair of regular holo glasses, though he had tinkered with it to function as a visor if he really needed it.

Jack was walking from one narrow and shadowed side street to the next, looking about idly as he bought supplies for the next few weeks in different stores. Canned food, some first aid kits, a few tools in case he needed to replace a screwdriver or something like that. He wouldn’t stay in Numbani for very long, hoping to sneak into a train to get to the east coast and then hop on a ship heading for India. He had picked up on some leads for some minor Talon activity there recently, and if he was lucky he’d even get to meet his old friend while there. He was somewhere in south Asia from what rumours had it.

The buzz nearly went unnoticed, and for a moment Jack thought that somehow he was just too close to somebody else’s holopad and noticed it ringing. But the buzz didn’t stop, and after a few moments he realized that something in his glasses was picking up on a message. He paused, wondering how easy it would be to remotely hack into them to somehow connect them to his communicator, which he had left back in his hideout.

A dumb question really, if there was the smallest connection, his magic IT girl could get through it.

Jack moved a little further away from the main street, still perfectly in view but a little apart from the masses, and leaned against the cool stone of the building by his side.

“Got your message,” he said with a grin, activating the earpiece attached to the glasses. “Thought we didn’t have another appointment till next week?”

“It’s cause this is urgent,” Sombra cut him off, her tone far less teasing than Jack had ever heard from her. Things must be really out of her control if she had dropped her poker face. She was good, but a general lack of failure in her work meant she let her façade slip in cases when something was too close to going wrong for comfort.

“I’m listening,” Jack said, immediately dropping his smile and frowning.

“It’s about Ellie, she’s in danger.”

Straight to the chase, and Jack felt ice cold all of a sudden.

“What happened to her?”

“Nothing yet, but something will!”

“What?”

“I don’t know, actually, but-“

“How can you not know,” Jack growled, heartbeat racing in his ears. He kept his composure, somewhat, the instinctive firm calm during a crisis warring with his panic when it came to his daughter being in any kind of danger.

“You called and yet you somehow don’t know?”

“I don’t know details,” Sombra interrupted again, clearly agitated by the situation or her own uncharacteristic lack of information. “I know that some upstart is planning to kidnap her, but those bastards are actually making up their details the ancient way. Paper, talking where there’s no camera to hack into, I don’t know!”

Jack took a deep breath, grounding himself. Planning meant nothing had happened. Yet.

“Tell me what you know.”

“Sure boss, that’s why I called,” Sombra quipped, leaving it at that rather than trying to toy around with Jack. “There’s always infighting in Talon, killing and betraying each other is absolutely acceptable in the lowest ranks, if it doesn’t harm the entire organisation and the bigger picture. Big bad boss thinks it’s good for working morale? Whatever. We’ve got this one guy, Menoza, he’s trying to expand his influence in South America.”

“He’s involved with LumériCo?” Jack asked, remembering the name from researching who had stakes in the Mexican company.

“The one. And that guy plans to jump up several ranks within Talon and take out some other competitors. Best way to do that is to have somebody real powerful on your side, somebody who’ll do what you want and kill anyone you sic them on.”

Jack felt his heartbeat pick up again.

“He wants to use Ellie to get to Reaper?”

“Exactly! I haven’t tried to check how he figured out, but he must have made a connection between Isabella Reyes and the mysterious terrorist that started appearing in Talon meetings after Gabriel Reyes was accused of blowing up half the Overwatch HQ and dying.”

“Doesn’t matter how, you think he’s gonna hurt Ellie?”

“Kidnap her, use her to try and control Reaper for sure. Don’t know how far he’d go in hurting her.”

Jack was already walking, face set to an impassive mask as he made his way towards his hideout as quickly as he could, not even bothering to take a twisted path. He wouldn’t be staying there for much longer anyway, no bother protecting its location.

“When?”

“Probably within the next two days?” Sombra said, and something clicked on her side of the conversation, probably her checking her information as they spoke. “I only caught it cause there was movement of some Talon troopers in his service.”

Jack hummed in thought as he scaled up the narrow staircase towards the abandoned loft above a small restaurant. It was closed down this time of day, and nobody spotted him. He didn’t bother checking for signs of intrusion, not caring if anyone had tracked him down. There wasn’t much to throw into his old duffle bag, quickly grabbing his ammunition and biotic fields from under the old creaky bed was enough. He only took some extra time to grab the food he’d stashed away, and then he was already on his way, not looking back. 

“Find me the quickest way out of Numbani and into the states,” he growled, instinct kicking in and easily putting Jack into the mindset of a soldier being deployed to the next hot spot. He had to think like that, couldn’t let his worries for his daughter seep into his planing. 

“Whatever you want in return, just think about it later and see this as a blank check. And I don’t care how uncomfortable the travel is, just make it quick.”

Sombra laughed. 

“All your little errands for me were just for emergencies like this, weren’t they. But I’ll take you up on the offer once you’re no longer a momma bear with its cub in danger.”

Jack didn’t deign this with a reply, and soon he heard Sombra let out a pleased sound. 

“There we go, head to the nearest cargo train you can find, I’ll make sure to erase you from the security cameras. There’s one leaving in half an hour.”

Jack nodded though he knew she wouldn’t be able to see it. 

Only one hour later he was tucked in between two large containers on the softly vibrating floor of a train, now clad in proper protective armour and his leather jacket as the entire train was cooled down. He was speeding west at what Sombra had assured him was the fastest train system of the continent, though there were no windows to check. 

His hands had checked his rifle and all of his extra equipment at least ten times already, movements honed by decades worth of fieldwork, and the familiar weight in his hands no longer provided him with the distraction he needed to stop thinking about his daughter, about whether he would be there on time, if he could handle whatever was going to be thrown their way or if perhaps this would be the moment he couldn’t win a fight. He’d always been doing worse in situations where somebody else’s safety was at stake. 

Clutching his rifle tighter Jack stared ahead, swaying with the motion of the train and not allowing himself to dwell on any what ifs. He had so little family left these days, there was no way he’d let it slip through his fingers again. 

 

*

 

Reaper didn’t have very many places that gave him even the slightest bit of comfort, but the safehouse he had managed to get his hands on near Illios was perhaps one of those that came closest to a home. He had chosen it primarily because he knew that the place had once belonged to Blackwatch, with Gerard being the only other person who knew about it. 

It was strategically well placed, a small house with relatively short travel time to several hot spots of Talon operations, which made it a good spot to be when Reaper was scouting the list of possible assignments for his own convenience. He could be wherever he needed to go easily, such as India, where he had hit some marks just the week before at some allies’ request. 

Most importantly though, it was far away from any actual Talon base. It was his own place, his own domain where nobody was looking over his shoulder and where none of the equipment had been made to show off wealth and a polished design. He didn’t have to listen to the underserved ideas of being entitled to grandness, the ways various leaders of Talon clashed or worked together to enrich themselves with barely anyone seeing it as more than a means to an end. It was just disorganized enough that he could do whatever he wanted most of the time. 

What Reaper wanted now was to come to a decision regarding the most recent development in his existence. 

The thing he and Jack had was… difficult. 

It was easy in the moment, when they happened to be close to each other, when their paths crossed in less violent ways than they were used to. When one invited the other to whatever little hole they were hiding in at that moment, and sometimes a back alley when it was urgent and loneliness got the best of them. It was easy to hold Jack and whisper sweet nothings in his ear and remember what it was like to love and be alive. 

Sometimes it was as if nothing had ever happened at all, as if they were still together, alone against the world but with each other. Sometimes when he looked into Jack’s eyes he thought that perhaps he could leave everything behind and just permit himself to pretend as if he was still just Gabriel. 

But none of it was true. It was just contained within one small bubble of nostalgia that popped whenever they parted ways again. 

Reaper was dead, Jack was running around a vigilante or joining the newly recalled Overwatch, Reaper was working for Talon as a means to an end himself… They were on two different sides of a battlefield now, even if perhaps their goals weren’t too far away from each other. There was just no way they could make it work. 

They _shouldn’t_ make it work. 

They still fought, they still shot to hurt or worse. 

Just a few weeks ago Reaper had hesitated for a few seconds, watching the Soldier try and escape from a hot pursuit. He had been near the only way out, the only gate leading to safety and towards where he suspected the Soldier had hid a vehicle. He had stared at the gate, knowing that only one shot to a small control panel would lock them for good, cutting off the Soldier and leaving him trapped. 

He had known that he was supposed to do it, had known that he couldn’t, not after still feeling Jack’s kisses against his skin.

He had left the Soldier be, figuring that if his opponents couldn’t catch him without outside help they didn’t deserve the victory anyway. 

But the mere fact that he had hesitated and considered doing what would no doubt have pleased Talon… 

There was a _reason_ things would never work out between them, besides the bad blood between them and the fact that Reaper was a walking corpse. 

Perhaps it would have been the wisest decisions to stay away from Jack entirely. For so long Reaper had avoided anyone he cared for, merely watching from a distance to make sure his family was at least doing well. He couldn’t risk for his siblings and parents to know he was still there, but a monster now, carrying death in his wake, and especially not Ellie. She had her own life to live now, without the weight of a wraith as a parent. 

Jack had been dead in his mind for the longest time, but the more real he seemed, the more the image of him and the Soldier merged in his mind, the more Reaper felt like he needed to run. While Jack had already seen the worst of him, there was no reason for him to see it over and over. Eventually he wouldn’t even remember how Gabriel used to be when he was alive, and somehow that thought was too much to bear. 

If he were clever at all, Reaper would cut it off cleanly. He neither deserved a soft touch nor did Jack deserve an undead husband who had to pause and think about whether to get him killed in cold blood or no. 

It would be wiser, better in the long run. 

And yet… 

Reaper settled near one of the narrow windows that overlooked the sea and the picturesque town below on the slopes of tall hills. The sun was already setting and painted the mediterranean in a blood red and orange, a beautiful contrast to the white and blue houses of Illios. 

Though he had grown up by the Pacific and knew the ocean well, strangely it was this sea that brought the fondest memories. He had been stationed near it more than once during the Omnic Crisis, usually in moments of reprieve. He had spend quite some time in a Watchpoint by the shore. He had travelled there during every family vacation they had wanted to spend by the sea. It was the waters where he had taught Ellie how to swim, where he had helped Jack build a giant sandcastle for her… the view always made him needlessly sentimental. 

Sometimes, when he stared out of that window, he wanted nothing more but to reminisce about these things with Jack, the next time he saw him. Talk about how it would actually feel like to be together again, to have a small house by the sea and retire. 

It was a dangerous thought to entertain, especially when Reaper was trying to gather the resolve to simply avoid Jack and not arrive to the places they had agreed to meet should they be in the area. He knew he should either completely stop seeing him, or tell Jack that it was over, that they should stop clinging to the past when he saw him in India soon. 

Each look out of the window broke this resolve a little, reminding him of whatever foolish dreams still remained from his life. 

Frankly, Reaper knew it would be better to abandon this safehouse completely, leave the memories behind. If it weren’t for its convenient location and equipment…

Something clicked faintly in the mechanism that opened the front door, though the faint signal that went off as an alarm stayed suspiciously quiet. 

With a sigh Reaper reached for his mask and put it in place before turning towards the door. 

“I can’t remember inviting you in, Sombra.”

The air blurred for a moment before the young woman appeared before him, sighing. 

“You always know it’s me,” she complained. 

“Nobody else knows how to disable the alarm. What do you want?” he growled. “You know I don’t want anyone in my space. If you want something you can send me a message.”

Sombra rolled her eyes. 

“Really? So you don’t want to know what’s important enough for me to come in person? What, you getting ready for a hot date or something?”

Smoke curled off Reaper’s shoulders and from underneath his mask, making the room smell like ash. Sombra didn’t seem to be intimidated by it, but at the very least she was clever enough to know not to push him. 

“Fine. I’m gonna tell you anyway since this is really important actually. I’ve been keeping my eye out for suspicious activity regarding one Isabella A. Re-”

At once Reaper felt his body dissolve and shoot over to where Sombra was, making her stumble back against the wall to avoid being too close to him once his body became solid once more. She looked more startled than afraid as Reaper towered over her, hissing quietly. 

“I told you to keep away from her! Was I not clear enough about that?”

Sombra’s mouth twitched and she shook her head. 

“Business is business. I had an old friend of yours pay me with invaluable favours to keep tabs on his precious girl,” she said, examining her nails. 

All at once Reaper deflated, caught off guard by her nonchalant attitude. 

“Jack…?” he whispered, despite himself. 

“Sure. He’s been doing all sorts of dirty leg work for me to keep tabs on your little girl and make sure nobody’s trying to get her. Didn’t want to risk being seen anywhere near her and for somebody to make the connection, so he’s tried his best to know what’s going on in her life. Don’t worry, I didn’t violate her privacy more than was necessary to check if there’s anyone else spying.”

Reaper took a step back, running his claws over his mask as he reached up to rub his temples out of habit. He had never known, he had simply assumed that Jack kept away entirely. He’d never said anything after all. 

“Why didn’t he tell me?” he asked out loud. 

Sombra shrugged again. 

“I don’t know what the communication in your marriage is like. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that one of our Talon buddies decided that he wants your support and loyalty, and that it’s easier to force you into it than try and offer you more money than anyone else could.”

She watched for Reaper’s reaction, but as he didn’t move she went on. 

“Most of it was arranged in person, so be glad I managed to catch what little movement I could to figure out what was going on. Ellie’s gonna be in danger of being abducted once again, they’re sending an entire troop to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

It was a nightmare he had for years, that somebody would try to lay hands on his daughter again. Reaper flexed his hands, claws catching the light of the sunset. 

“Who?” he demanded. 

“Menoza. He’s trying to jump some ranks-”

“That little- I’ll pay him a visit myself then.”

“You’ll probably want to wait with that,” Sombra said, pulling up a small hologram in the air between them. “I’ve already told your husband about it, but there’s no time to waste. You’ll probably want to grab a carrier or something, I can make your use of it disappear from the record.”

Reaper grabbed his belt of grenades and his gauntlets from where he had dropped them upon arrival, staring at Sombra suspiciously. She wasn’t one to betray him, as he was one of the few who worked well with her, but she wasn’t above playing some trick for her own amusement. 

“How did that moron even figure out about Ellie?” he asked.

Sombra gave him a dry smile. 

“With how often you lurk around your family like a lost puppy I’m not surprised that somebody who’s already taken an interest in you might figure out what you’re after,” she explained. “He was probably looking for something to get you to work with him, and it’s not too hard to figure out who you are once it’s clear who it is you’re trailing all the time.”

Something cold coiled in Reaper’s stomach as he thought of it. 

“I always took care…” he muttered. 

“Your general location isn’t exactly a secret to Talon usually. And most people who had an eye on you and your dear husband at least know of your daughter in theory. She’s gathered some renown in the scientific community as well, her location isn’t a great mystery either. You think your husband wanted me to keep an eye out _just_ for sentimentality? He’s a paranoid old man.”

Reaper tried to ignore her little speech, already walking out of the house. 

“You said you can get me a carrier off the record?”

“Easy as pie.”

“Then come along now or I’ll hold you responsible for whatever happens.”

“A thank you would be nice,” Sombra sighed, but followed him out into the warm evening. They had a rescue to plan.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fighting and a bit of violence in this one!
> 
> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, I'm currently in the process of moving countries due to university, and I'm staying at my friend's house. Hope you enjoy~

The clouds above painted the sky a dark blue, robbing Ellie of the last few moments of daylight she could have enjoyed on her way home. Once again she had stayed in the lab for too long, working tirelessly on cataloguing samples that were meant to be shipped over to Europe in a few days. Half the staff had been hit by a summer flu wave, leaving those who remained work all day to get everything done on time. 

As was the case far too often Ellie was one of the last to leave. At least her family was aware of it and didn’t mind. Marco had some time off and was able to be there for Alex with food and helping him with schoolwork and such things. While Ellie regretted not getting to spend time with her family just now, she knew that her boys were doing just fine at least. She’d make up for it by planning some family trip once the weather was right and her own work was back to normal. 

It was quiet in the lobby of the genetics building, with only one man sitting at the reception desk and reading a book. She stood alone by the glass wall next to the exit, where the light didn’t quite reach her. The silence was nearly eerie, but Ellie had grown far too used to being in academic buildings that were abandoned late in the evening. It was peaceful, to an extent.

“Going home for the night, Mrs Reyes?” the receptionist asked, taking a sip of his tea. 

“Trying to judge if I’ll need this,” Ellie said with a smile, gesturing with her umbrella. 

The receptionist nodded and returned to his book, enjoying the quiet time of his shift. Ellie glanced outside with a frown, trying to figure out if the few drops on the window were the last signs of an earlier drizzle or if the rain would start up soon. Depending on the weather she’d take a different route home, either taking the train that would take a detour, or walking all the way to the bus station that would drop her off just down the road from where she lived with a shorter total travel time. 

Something caught her eye as she tried to squint up at the sky from her position. Across the street right there were a few cafes and a small grocery store, all already closed up for the night. There was a shape on the roof, just slightly darker than the surroundings, something that was different from normal. 

Ellie stared at it, wondering what it might be. It was nearly impossible to see from the distance, but after a few moments it seemed like a person was sitting there, half hidden from view. They seemed to be covered in something that made them harder to spot, perhaps something to shield them from the rain. 

She frowned as she tried to think of why anyone would want to sit on a roof this late in the evening in such weather. It probably wasn’t a student, as the term hadn’t started yet, and there were much more comfortable places to sit if it was just somebody in need of shelter. No, judging by their position this was somebody who wanted the view the roof offered. 

A cold shiver ran down Ellie’s spine as she realized how convenient that spot would be as a sniper’s nest. She remembered Ana explaining it to her once, how to pick a good position to observe without being seen too easily. How Jesse had done the same, joking about how she would never lose hide and seek again if she followed his rules of where to hide and where to watch people. 

She threw a glance at the receptionist, who was too far away from the glass wall to even see the rooftop well. Could this be somebody wanting to break into the building? But there was nothing worth stealing in the labs, to Ellie’s knowledge. They weren’t even researching anything of interest to the kind of people who’d try to get their hand on incomplete work. And there was no rival institution that wanted to take a look at any of it, the information was as public as ongoing research could get.

Perhaps they were on the lookout for a person then. 

“Good night,” Ellie told the receptionist and finally stepped out of the building. It wasn’t raining, but she clutched her umbrella tight as she walked towards the street, glancing up at the roof carefully. The person was gone now. 

There was nothing unusual as Ellie walked through the campus and down the streets. There weren’t that many people around, but it wasn’t a particularly busy part of town either. About five minutes had passed since she left the campus when she noticed another figure on a roof, again hidden away so well that she was sure she wouldn’t have noticed if she didn’t know what she was looking for. 

Then there was another, also watching. 

Three of them weren’t a coincidence, and slowly Ellie felt shivers crawl down her spine as she realized that whoever these people were, they were watching her. 

She gripped her umbrella tighter, walking on as if nothing was wrong. By now it had started to drizzle, and she regretted the longer walk she chose to take. Yet Ellie didn’t open the umbrella, preferring to the full field of vision without the thing blocking her view. 

What had her papa told her about situations like this when nobody to help was near? She knew how to fight off quite a chunk of opponents, even if they had weapons, but she had never tested her strength in a serious situation. Besides, there wasn’t really a reason for anyone to want anything with her at all. Perhaps she had been in danger once, but her parents were dead and nobody could possibly have a use for her. There was nobody to blackmail left. 

Ellie looked around at the people on the street. It was a public enough place, and there was a still a chance that whoever was trailing her might try something despite the witnesses. Best not get them involved. 

Without hesitating Ellie turned on her heel and walked between two buildings down a narrow street. She doubted that she could shake her stalkers off just like that, but at least there were no innocent bystanders left. She walked quickly, turning here and there in the familiar back alleys she’d explored in the years she’d worked in the area. Perhaps she could shake them after all, but at least she knew where she was unlike them, hopefully. 

This was something she needed to deal with now, to make sure those people were gone before she dared go anywhere close to home. Marco wasn’t somebody who knew what to do in situations like this, wouldn’t defend himself well against professionals. 

Her grip on her umbrella tightened as she grit her teeth, noticing movement out of the corner of her eye, black shifting against black. 

Besides, her fingers were itching to release some frustration of an exhausting work day. The mere reminder of people having a problem with her late fathers and might try to attack a young woman wasn’t helping her anger either.

Something hissed in the darkness, barely perceptible, and Ellie swung around and out of the way as something hit the brick wall near her chest. A quick glance revealed a dart sticking out of the wall, buried right where she had walked just seconds before. 

A tranquilizer? Who were these people?

Seconds later they were upon her. 

Ellie barely had time to register that there were at least half a dozen of them, wearing masks with strange red visors and body armour, before she had dropped her bag and tackled the first one. 

Electricity cracked as the first attacker tried to connect a stun gun to her neck, before her bulk smashed into him and sent him stumbling against the wall. Hands reached for her and Ellie swung around, kicking off the fallen body of the first one to push her umbrella forwards like a spear, hitting right where she guessed the armour plates might have a weak spot to allow for the wearer to bend over.

She heard a satisfying choked sound as the next guy sagged down from her hit, before grabbing him and shoving him at the next one, letting him drop another stun gun. By now the rain had started up and Ellie hissed as she felt her coat soak through, restricting her movements within moments. 

Somebody grabbed at it but she pulled away, hearing the material rip as she rolled out of the way and made a grab for the stun gun. It had several settings, she noticed, and could probably be set to kill as well. But there was no time to figure out how exactly it worked, as she stumbled back and hit the pavement, firing a shot as the men tried to take advantage of her position, having one cry out in pain and crumble to the ground. 

She pulled the trigger again, realizing that the gun needed to be reloaded between each shot and she had no idea how. 

With a curse Ellie smashed it against the bricks, hoping to disable it that way. The next one who tried to make a grab for her received a smack with her umbrella, hard enough to send him to the ground and break the umbrella neatly in half. 

Ellie stared at the now broken stick in her hand, and cursed quietly. So much for a weapon. Her heart was racing with adrenaline but she felt a rush of energy run through her, her hands aching to slam into the men who were closing in on her. She was nearly surrounded.

She tucked her head in and made a run for it, throwing another man off his feet as she tore through them and ran. There were so many, Ellie realized as her shoes got soaked thanks to the puddles she dashed through. At least she wore sneakers when she had to work in a lab, which helped reduce the risk of twisting her ankle as she sped through the night. 

Ellie barely had time to shed her coat, hoping for that to help her move easier despite the cold, when she was forced to skid to a halt when even more of the men in the strange uniforms appeared before her. 

How many _were_ there even?

Two approached her with outstretched arms, ready to grab her. Ellie let out a curse and darted to the side, pushing herself off the wall and ramming her weight into a third. 

She didn’t know how many punches she landed, and how often hands grabbed at her only to let go when she tore free. They were certainly trying not to use excessive force, but she was getting tired of it quickly. 

They just didn’t stop _coming_.

It was hard to tell with the uniforms, but every time Ellie managed to drop one to the ground, presumably unconscious, more seemed to appear. She could deal with a couple men for sure, but not what felt like a small army. 

Someone finally managed to connect the muzzle of a stun gun to her side, sending a shock of pain through her body. Ellie screamed in pain and rage, wrenching the gun from the man’s hands and smashing it through his protective visor before sagging back. It was getting hard to see with the rainwater in her eyes, her hands barely found purchase on the wet plastic of the gun, and her entire right side felt numbed. There was no way she could deal with this for much longer, and she would be captured despite her superhuman strength. 

Ellie’s back was pressed against the wall, the bricks digging into her skin through her soaked shirt, and she could see the red shining visors of the people around her. They formed a half circle, nearly hesitant to approach as if they had cornered a feral animal and not an unarmed young woman. 

The first who tried to grab her got the discharged gun smashed against their arm, producing a satisfying crunch and pushing them back. 

Ellie could barely make out words through the blood rushing in her ears, but by now the men had caught on that she wasn’t just some normal civilian. 

“How the hell is she still standing after that load?”

“-false intel.”

“What sort of demon-”

“Whatever, just get her and get out of the city before _he_ catches wind of this.”

Ellie let out a choked growl as they all made a move at once, swinging the gun at them once more. This time somebody took hold of it and wrenched it away, her numbed right hand no longer able to hold on properly. 

So that was it then. 

Despite her best attempts Ellie could no longer fight them off. Within seconds they were on her, trying to grab her arms and pull her along and bind her wrists together. She tried to struggle, but she already knew that she was vastly outnumbered. 

One of the masked men reached out for her as she still tried to struggle, another tranquilizer dart in his hand, and Ellie made one last attempt to break free. 

She tried to pull her arms away from the grasps as hard as she could, struggling and slipping on the ground. Then the pressure on her wrists was gone all at once and her back hit the wall with a dull thud. Before she could get her bearings and figure out why she had been let go something dark obscured her vision. 

A solid blackness washed through the alleyway, accompanied by a shrill buzz as if a thousand angry wasps had descended on the attackers. What followed was an explosion and a bright flash of light, knocking over the men who hadn’t been swallowed by the blackness, as well as the deafening crash of a shotgun being fired. 

Ellie slid down to the ground, back pressed to the wall as she cradled her still numb arm. She watched in horror as the black mass coalesced into the shape of a human clad in leather and darkness, firing shotguns that sent the men around her flying back without any effort in wielding such destructive weapons. When the shots rang out the creature let out an inhuman growl that sounded more like fire than a human voice, and instead of trying to reload it was on the men in a flash, fighting with claws and easily knocking them down with its bare hands. 

Another explosion knocked back another bunch of Ellie’s attackers, and a man joined the creature. Red flashed where the eyes should be, but before Ellie could figure out if that was a visor or no the man joined the fight, no less brutally efficient than the shadow. 

It only took a few seconds as the two figures disposed of the two dozen or so men, moving together as one and never leaving their companion’s back unprotected. They were armoured and armed, easily finishing what Ellie started with the ease of somebody who must have been used to combat for their entire life. 

Ellie’s heart was still racing with adrenaline as the last man dropped down. The shadow melted to the ground in a cloud of smoke, retreating to the darkness of the alley where Ellie couldn’t see, and she realized that it wasn’t leaving behind the defeated opponents, pulling them away to do god knew what. Hopefully that was just to get them away and out of the alley. 

The shadow’s companion stood with his back turned to her, rain running in rivers over his leather jacket. He clenched his fists, flexed his fingers, and then slowly turned his head. A sliver of the red visor came into view, casting light on his clothes and white hair before it powered down to a faint glow. 

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, before fully turning around to face Ellie. Then he was walking towards her in a few quick strides, making her flinch. There was no way she could take on _him_ in her current state. 

“Are you hurt?” he asked, voice rough and slightly distorted by the facemask. 

He didn’t look like he belonged to the attackers at all, the visor and mask a completely different make than theirs. Before Ellie could decide what to answer he reached to his arm and tugged a canister off his sleeve before smacking it to the ground. The little cylinder unfolded and cast a circle of light in the alleyway bathing everything in gold. 

All at once Ellie felt warmth wash over her, and her muscles relaxed. She let out a relieved sigh, as her soaked through clothes had started to become noticable. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to make sure you’re not hurt. Sometimes you don’t notice it in the rush of a fight,” the man told her, cautiously reaching out for her face with his palms up as if to show that he was unarmed. He could break her with just his hands, she was sure, but Ellie didn’t flinch again as she nodded. 

His hands shook as he reached out for her face, cradling it much more gently than Ellie thought a man who fought like that was capable of. His leather gloves were a little rough, but he was careful as he checked her for bruises and proceeded to look her over. 

“You did so well,” he was saying. “I saw the ones further down the alley, if they hadn’t sent an entire squad you would have had the upper hand.”

His voice was soothing despite the distortion, and Ellie realized that she was shaking as she calmed down. She desperately wanted to go home and for Marco to hold her, just to calm down from the shock of having to fight the way she did. 

“I think my wrists are messed up,” she said, holding out her arms for the man to inspect. The way he touched her, keeping his movements sparse and practiced reminded her of the doctors with field medic training she had known before, he would know what to do if she was seriously injured. 

The man froze as she spoke, but quickly turned his attention to her arms. There was some faint bruising and scraped skin where Ellie had fought against being cuffed, but the biotic field was already taking care of it. 

Behind the man the shadows moved until they shaped the form of the creature from before again. This time Ellie recognized that it was indeed another man, armored and with sharp looking claws as well as a skull mask. He didn’t seem like a real person, and Ellie tried her best not to let her fear show. She had no idea what those shadow powers were, but they weren’t _normal_. 

“And one of them got me with a stun gun,” she went on, pulling her hand from her saviour’s gentle hold to touch her side. Her shirt was signed where she had been hit. “My entire arm feels numb, it’s why I couldn’t fight anymore.”

The man let out a low growl in anger, and his companion’s head snapped to the side and stared towards the alley where he’d dragged off Ellie’s attackers before.

“I’ll make them regret this,” he hissed in his strange unnatural voice already shifting his weight to move back there, but the man in the leather jacket shook his head. 

“Leave them, you’ll have time to make them pay later,” he said, and to Ellie’s surprise the man with the skull mask remained where he was. 

“You’re safe now, Ellie,” the man with the silver hair said, voice gentle again. “We’ll make sure that their boss will never attempt anything like it again.”

Ellie paused, looking up at him. She couldn’t see anything of his face, apart from wrinkles and a scar that ran over his forehead and dipped under the visor. 

“How do you know me?” she asked.

Again the man froze, and the companion with the skull mask let out a strange sound. 

“We’re… affiliated with the recalled Overwatch,” the man in front of her said. “It’s… You’re important. We can’t let anyone of our own be in danger, so when we heard about this, we had to make sure-”

Ellie didn’t listen as she took in the man again. He was kneeling now, but he had been at least six feet tall, broad shouldered and moved with a practiced ease she’d rarely seen before. There was a rifle at his feet, and while it wasn’t the same, it was similar enough. His voice was rough, too deep, just slightly too different, but-

“Dad?” 

It was such a stupid thing to let slip, but Ellie couldn’t help the sudden hope in her chest. That man had swooped in just when she was in danger, making everything ok again and taking the time to check her over for injuries, he was the right age, he could be her dad, he couldn’t be, but she wanted it so bad-

For a few moments he said nothing, before he reached up and detached his visor and facemask. He was older, there were scars running across his face and his face was gaunt but it was the face of Jack Morrison, alive and breathing. 

Ellie didn’t realize that she started crying until a sob broke out of her lips. She was on him in a second, clinging to her father and crying like a little girl. His arms wrapped around her waist, familiar and comforting as he swayed her gently. It didn’t matter that this couldn’t be real, that her father was dead. He couldn’t be here, and yet he had come to her aid just the way her dad always did when she needed him the most. 

“Oh pumpkin… I’m so sorry.”

“Everyone said you’re dead! They buried you!” she cried, clinging to him so hard she was sure it must be painful. “How are you here? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was supposed to die,” her dad said, running a hand over her hair. “I was hiding from them, I couldn’t let anyone know in case that’d put them in danger but- looks like danger caught up to you anyway.”

She sniffed, letting go just enough to pull back and look at her dad’s face. 

“They said such horrible things about you and- they said he-”

Her eyes fell on the man behind Jack, standing outside the light of the biotic field and staring at them still as a stature. There was nothing of his head she could see, his belts and coat giving him a dramatic figure but hope was a powerful force once Ellie allowed it to run free. 

“... Papi? Is.. is that you?”

For a few moments he didn’t move, until Jack turned around and gave him a look. Then it was as if somebody had cut the strings of a marionette and he fell to his knees at their sides, arms wrapping around both Jack and Ellie, pulling her close against his chest. 

“Ellie,” he choked out, his voice sounding much more human now. “I couldn’t keep you safe, I’m so sorry, I never wanted you to actually have to face any danger-”

Ellie reached for his mask, desperate to make sure. For a moment her father flinched away, not letting her touch him, before giving in and removing his mask.

Gabriel looked… different. It was still a face she knew, though his beard was mostly grey now. His eyes were completely black with a red glow to them, and and there were patches of skin that seemed to leak the smoke she’d seen before. He looked much less real than Jack, making all of this seem more like a dream. 

It didn’t matter. Ellie clung to him even more fiercely once she had seen that it was indeed her father. He stiffened briefly, before embracing her again. 

“They said you killed dad… They said so many horrible things about you, both of you, and I couldn’t stand it! As if you’d ever try to kill dad!”

Jack sighed as Gabriel didn’t move, and Ellie glanced up at her dad. 

“Your papi would never do that,” he said quietly. “We tried to- I tried to save him, I thought he was dead for the longest time. I tried to pay back the ones who caused our family so much pain for years. I wish I had just told you from the start, pumpkin. I was afraid somebody would make the connection, and in the end they did despite all our precautions.”

“It’s ok,” Ellie sniffed, rubbing at her eyes to wipe away the tears despite the rain. “I’m just- I’m glad you’re _here_. I wanted you to be alive so badly, it just didn’t seem real sometimes- God, but you never even got to meet Alex! If you can, I would really want you to.”

“You’re not- afraid of me?” Gabriel blurted out suddenly. Smoke was rising from his body, twitching in what Ellie thought was distress. It was part of him, in some way, though she didn’t understand how. 

She looked at him, at the strange ashen hue of his skin and the smoke drifting around them. He had terrified her when she first saw him attack the ones who had tried to capture her, the way he’d moved and hurt. But now he was just… he was her papi, the one who’d always chased away the nightmares and made her sweets and iced tea when she crunched for exams. Somehow the shadows didn’t seem so bad now that she knew it was him. 

“No,” she said, shrugging. 

That seemed to startle her father more than anything, and Jack let out a rough laugh. 

“Forget it, Gabe, you can’t scare the woman who’s seen your panic when Halloween approached and your costumes had unfinished seams.”

Gabriel stared at him, before he laughed as well. The smoke settled around him, and he got up before gently helping Ellie to her feet. The biotic field faded and Jack picked up the canister again. Now that its warm glow was gone Ellie started to shiver, regretting that she’d had to leave her coat behind. It was probably somewhere down the alley, torn to shreds. 

The air cracked briefly and something warm wrapped around her shoulders. She looked down to find a living moving darkness envelop her like a cloak, still connected to her father’s own leather coat. It was a strange sensation, but it shielded her from the rain somewhat. 

“You’ll catch your death out here,” Gabriel said, pulling her close and supporting her weight to help her walk with the residue of numbness in her body. He seemed both reluctant to have her step away even an inch and hesitant about touching her. 

“You sound like grandma,” she laughed, but clung to his side. 

Ellie didn’t want to let him go at all, suddenly feeling as if he’d disappear if she stopped holding on to his arm. 

Jack reattached his visor and threw a look at the two. He seemed reluctant as he picked up his rifle. 

“I’ll make sure we’ve got them all. Gabe, get her home.”

He disappeared back into the darkness of the alley, leaving Ellie behind with her papi. She nearly tried to stop him, wanting both her parents at her side, but she knew it was better to let him check. She absolutely didn’t want another run in with the people who tried to get her. 

“Come on, we’ll walk slowly,” Gabriel told her as he started to move the opposite direction. 

“Who were those people?” Ellie asked, not sure if she could really expect an answer from the most secretive man she knew. 

Gabriel thought for a few moments, working his jaw as he tried to decide what to tell her. 

“There’s some… people I’m involved with. And some of them are very backstabbing about getting more power. One of them figured out the best way to try and blackmail me into working for them exclusively. Won’t happen again, I can assure you.”

Ellie snorted. 

“Aren’t you tired of always sneaking around with dangerous people for the greater good?”

Gabriel paused, then let out a laugh. 

“You know, I feel like I might just be fed up with that line of work.”

They walked in silence, the strange living shadow that shielded Ellie from the rain keeping her cozy. By the time they reached a quiet stretch of the road she could walk without a limp in her numbed leg. 

A car came to a halt right in front of them, a door sliding open soundlessly just as they approached. 

“Your ride’s here,” a mechanical cheerful voice announced from the dashboard. Nobody was inside, but a pink skull was flashing over all displays. 

“Was this really necessary, Sombra?” Gabriel groaned, receiving a chuckle from the car’s speakers. 

He helped Ellie climb into the car and joined her, taking over the wheel as the skulls disappeared from the screens. A few moments later the door opened again and Jack slid into the backseat, rifle attached to his back. 

“Nobody’s following us, you can go.”

Gabriel nodded and drove off, heading down familiar streets. 

“Are we going home?” Ellie asked, looking from one to the other. “You can stay in the guest room.”

 

“No,” Jack said quietly. “We can’t, I’m sorry. Nobody can see us with you.”

“And we need to make sure nobody’s sending any more grunts to get you any time soon,” Gabriel added. 

Ellie’s heart clenched but she nodded, putting on a brave face. She really didn’t want her parents to leave so soon after returning from the dead, but she knew they had to. Surely they would not disappear if they let her go, surely they would come back now that they had revealed that they were alive. 

They were quiet as they drove, until Gabriel stopped in front of her house. 

“There you go,” he said, staring at the front door. 

Jack leaned forwards and handed Ellie a soaked bag. 

“I picked this up in the alley. Figure it’s yours.”

“Thanks,” she muttered clutching it tight to her chest. She hadn’t even thought of it in light of the recent events. 

They sat quietly for a few moments, nobody moving, nobody wanting to part so soon. 

“I know you probably can’t be seen at all,” Ellie started. “But… I’d like it if you could visit on Christmas. Just for a moment. I want you to meet… my family.”

It was so strange to invite ghosts along, but she had to try. 

“We’ll try,” Gabriel promised, as Jack opened his mouth but decided against whatever he was going to say.

Ellie glanced at them, feeling a sudden deep sadness in her. Neither of her parents looked like life had treated them well recently, both tired and weary. 

She leaned over in between the seats, hugging her dad close before letting go and pressing a kiss to her papi’s cheek. 

“You’re welcome to visit whenever you want!” she said, before opening the door and climbing out of the car. 

She didn’t look back as the quickly walked the steps up to her front door, even as she heard the soft sound of the car starting back up and driving away. 

There was a tight feeling of relief in her chest, more than Ellie could handle. Her legs felt wobbly, the adrenaline crash responsible rather than the shock of electricity. For a moment Ellie wondered if she might start crying or get hysterical about what had gone down once the shock wore off. But if there was one thing her papi had taught her, then it was that there was nothing a long bath and headphones full of death metal couldn’t solve. 

 

*

 

The rain was strong enough to hide the city from view, leaving Jack and Gabriel to stand under the small hidden shed on an old factory roof. Gabriel’s sleek stolen carrier awaited their use, but neither felt like trying to fly in this sort of weather just yet. 

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” Jack said. 

It was quiet enough that Gabriel could pretend not to hear him over the sound of the rain, but after a few moments he glanced over. It was strange to see him without the mask for such a long period of time when they were just talking, it was always in place to hide his true emotions, but he hadn’t put it back on ever since Ellie had seen him. 

“Life as a vigilante?”

Jack sighed. 

“You know what I mean. Us. This… inbetween thing where we keep pretending like nothing’s wrong or fighting each other tooth and nail. I’m tired of it.”

Gabriel stared out into the city again, frowning. 

“We can’t go back to how it was before. We’re not the same.”

Jack shrugged. 

“Really? Cause what we did back there was just how we always are. Fighting side by side, saving people, being there for our daughter… was that nothing?”

Gabriel was quiet for a few more moments, before turning to Jack. He looked so exhausted. 

“I really wish we could just forget everything. I miss it when things were easy, Jackie. I miss you, I miss our family. But we’re on two different sides now, we want the same things but our methods just aren’t-”

“I’m not saying that things have to be _exactly_ the same,” Jack threw in. “But… why _not_ just try? You do your thing, fine, I don’t agree with everything but I will have your back, if you’d just let me.”

Gabriel’s resolve was cracking, he could tell.

“Come on”, Jack pushed on. “If you don’t want to try for me, then try for Ellie at least.”

Gabriel laughed, and he closed the gap between them, pulling Jack into his arms. He couldn’t remember the last time Gabriel had just held him without them holing up somewhere to have a small truce for a few moments. It was the best feeling in the world, despite the wet leather and the cold. 

“You idiot,” Gabriel said fondly. “I’ll try for you, don’t pull that shit of staying together for the children on me. I loved you. I still do, even if it’s a bad idea.”

“We’ve never been good at avoiding bad ideas,” Jack reminded him, and Gabriel smiled. Despite the strange cloud of nanites that shifted his face and his inhuman eyes he looked exactly like the cocky young man he’d met back at SEP. It was a good look on him. 

“It’s your bad influence, farm boy.”

They had kissed in the years since they had last been together truly, but something about the taste of rain against Gabriel’s lips made Jack feel as if he had been deprived of this for decades. 

“Come on then,” he said, gesturing at the carrier. “Lets talk about planning our future somewhere with an inbuilt heating.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow with a smirk, but he linked their hands together, fingers entwined. 

He didn’t let go as Jack led them away from the rush of rain and into the warmth of their plane.


	19. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many apologies for the delay, I moved countries, was without internet, and then life happened

Dimmed sunlight filtered through the shutters of the window, the pale light warming Jack’s face. The sun would only just now be peeking over the buildings, heralding the new day in a late wintery fashion. Perhaps there would even be a fresh layer of snow with how a few lonesome clouds were visible from his position.

Jack didn’t care enough to get up, open the window, and check. He had earned being lazy right now, and the weather wouldn’t affect his plans unless anything short of a blizzard decided to hit them. Right now the only reason he would have to check the perimeter and the skyline was for his own enjoyment, and he doubted this enjoyment could be in any way greater than the luxury of being buried under several blankets. The pillows even smelled of his partner when he pressed his face against them, so there was no need to leave.

He sighed as he pulled the pillow closer, listening to the sound of the faintest smoke brushing against stone and plaster somewhere deeper inside their apartment. Though Jack wished Gabriel would be in bed with him instead, he had come to be amused by this habit his husband had picked up.

They had a small home, a former safe house that served as their base in the states when they happened to be there. It was hidden, secured by both of them and checked by Jack in appropriate intervals. Yet Gabriel couldn’t shake the habit of shifting through the tiniest of cracks, checking the vents and holes nothing bigger than a particularly small insect could fit through. Jack knew that nobody could plant any sort of trap or bug in between the times they made perimeter checks, but he also knew that it soothed Gabriel to see for himself. Even if meant that he slipped away every couple of hours to do this.

By now Jack had not only gotten used to it, it was part of what made him feel truly safe.

Not that Gabriel was checking for danger as such. More that Gabriel was _there_ , that he could hear him nearby, going about his business. It didn’t matter if there was real danger around them, when Gabriel was with Jack they could take on anything.

Finally the smoke poured through the keyhole of their bedroom and through the cracks, swirling briefly before pooling on the ground and sliding up to the bed.

“All clear?” Jack asked, closing his eyes with a content smile.

He felt something brush against the skin of his arm before the bed dipped as Gabriel coalesced by his side, arms wrapped around Jack’s chest.

“You won’t be mocking me when I discover a threat and heroically carry you out of the building,” he teased, lips close enough to Jack’s that he felt them tickle against his.

“Mmm, my hero,” Jack smirked, eyes still closed, and rolled over on his side, opening his arms slightly for Gabriel to slide against him. “I think you’ll need to break the curse of enjoying this gorgeous bed all by myself. Whatever will you do?”

Gabriel laughed as he nuzzled against his husband and his beard brushed against Jack’s neck, tickling him slightly.

“You don’t sleep nearly enough to be Sleeping Beauty, sunshine.”

“That’s not for you to decide,” Jack shot back, finally cracking open his eyes.

Gabriel smiled at him with such warmth that it clenched his heart. Sometimes the residue panic of being parted from Gabriel, from thinking him dead and then forever out of reach caught up to him. Those moments lasted shorter and shorter though, and when Gabriel leaned in for the kiss Jack was ready to beg for, that feeling was chased away by the luxury of the now.

They used to have so few days on which they could stay in bed, sleep in, enjoy each other. And now that they were vigilantes, fighting for a world that didn’t know they existed, they had more of these mornings than ever before. Perhaps they really could consider themselves retired by now. With Gabriel at his back it nearly felt like it, too, despite the on-going war.

Something warm wrapped around Jack’s waist, slithering over his skin before it solidified into arms. It forced him to shift around to get comfortable again, turning more towards Gabriel as he lay on his back. It was a trick Gabriel often liked to use when he didn’t feel like actually manhandling his husband around into the position he wanted him in.

“At least you got the latter part right,” Gabriel told him before he kissed him, effectively cutting off any tease Jack could throw back his way.

Not that he wanted to, when Gabriel fit so perfectly against his loose and relaxed body, when they were still warm from sleep and the kiss was getting interesting. Jack sighed against Gabriel’s lips as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and Gabriel pushed inside him, hands holding his hips in place gently.

It was more about chasing closeness, trading kisses and tracing old and familiar scars on each other’s bodies.

They had taken a while to truly become comfortable with each other like this again. Just letting themselves take their time, knowing that neither was going to leave before the sun rose, relearning how to be gentle with themselves and each other. In a way it was learning how to be together the same way as they had been before everything went to hell. Of course they had changed, injury and age and all the years they had spent apart hadn’t gone unnoticed. That too was part of learning each other’s bodies again.

Gabriel had changed in the way he clung to Jack. He gripped his body more firmly than he used to, always needing to touch and hold on in some way, his hips barely had a proper rhythm when they were like that, just enjoying quiet moments. Jack kissed along Gabriel’s cheek, his lips, his forehead as Gabriel panted soft puffs of breath against his skin, lost in the sensation.

Jack’s hands rubbed over Gabriel’s back soothingly as he shivered and cried out quietly, smoke twitching along the edges of his body. When he came it was as if a slow wave pushed over sand, a rush of warmth and pleasure making his body shudder pleasantly. Gabriel didn’t take much longer either, hips jerking a few times more as he pressed his face against Jack’s throat with a soft groan.

His breath came in harsh huffs as Gabriel clung to Jack harder, calming down from the sensations. There was a faint buzz under his skin, barely noticeable against the palms of Jack’s hands, and it was similar to how his body felt like just before he was about to turn into a cloud of nanites.

“That good?” Jack asked, feeling even more relaxed and warm than just after waking up.

Gabriel sighed and raised his head with some effort, looking up at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

“You don’t usually look like you’re about to lose your body right after sex.”

The comment earned him a frown, but rather than reply Gabriel chose to drop his head back down to rest against Jack’s chest.

They stayed like that for a while, Jack’s hand idly petting Gabriel’s hair and feeling the weight of him with each rise and fall of his chest. It was the most peaceful he could ever imagine feeling, and even all the things he’d need to take care of eventually didn’t bother him in that moment. It would come again, he’d watch the rising sun light up his ceiling with Gabriel wrapped around his body on another morning.

Eventually the sun rose high enough for Jack to start feeling restless. Even when he got to sleep in, at some point he always felt the need to get up and do something, even if that something didn’t involve more than read a book or make a lavish breakfast.

Gabriel growled like a displeased cat when Jack tried to move, still connected to him and clinging tighter than before.

“Come on, let me get up,” Jack laughed, pushing at Gabriel’s shoulders as his arms wrapped around his waist stubbornly. “Gotta eat and clean up. Don’t want to lie around all sticky.”

At that he was finally released, and Gabriel glared at him as Jack got up and stretched. The air in their apartment was just slightly too cool against his skin after being wrapped in Gabriel’s warmth for so long. He wandered over to the small wardrobe where they kept a few odd pieces of clothing, and set to gather what he needed to take a shower. Something dark wrapped around his wrist as Jack walked around the room, a circle of smoke that formed a thread back to Gabriel, who watched his husband defiantly from his pile of blankets.

Only when Jack opened the door to the adjacent bathroom and gave him a pointed look did Gabriel release his hold. Jack could have broken it easily; the thin thread of smoke not enough for Gabriel to really restrain him, but in a way Jack liked that Gabriel tried to keep some sort of contact between them. Even if he was too reluctant to leave the bed to actually hold hands.

It was rare that Jack managed to stay in the shower for more than was necessary to get clean, out of habit mostly. But he did take a few moments to relax under the steady stream and appreciate the fancy soap Gabriel had found somewhere. Neither of them had indulged in something like that for years, out of necessity or just because they didn’t want to. Given the presence of a more permanent hideout it didn’t seem like too much of a luxury to have.

By the time Jack stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and hair still damp, Gabriel had gotten up and was pacing around with no real purpose.

“You can go, if you want,” Jack informed him, and Gabriel startled a little.

He let out a sigh and his eyes lingered on the too tight shirt Jack had put on for less than they normally would.

“Still nervous?”

At that Gabriel stopped, frowning.

“I’m not _nervous_ ,” he said, incredulous at the mere suggestion of it. “It’s just…”

Gabriel threw a glance towards the small desk in their bedroom, where the things they’d need for their next trip were laid out.

“What if he doesn’t like- what if he doesn’t like the presents?”

Jack didn’t have the heart to point out that this was indeed nervousness. It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand Gabriel’s worry. It was something he would dwell on if he weren’t strangely calm about getting to meet his grandson for the very first time.

“Of course he will,” Jack promised Gabriel, closing the distance between them to put a soothing hand on his shoulder. “I know for a fact that any boy his age would adore… whatever that thing is called.”

“Zoomerang,” Gabriel muttered absentmindedly, rolling his eyes. Neither of them had known what to get for Alex, with their contact to Ellie limited for safety reasons. The obnoxiously bright green and yellow box they’d gotten that contained a remote-controlled boomerang seemed to be popular enough among children though.

“Yeah that. It’s a toy and kids love it, so I’m sure he won’t object. It’s us that he’ll be more curious about anyway. And we made more sweets than any parent would be fine with their kid having.”

“Of course he’ll like the toy,” Gabriel replied, shaking his head. He didn’t elaborate, but Jack figured he knew what was on his mind.

“He’ll like you as well,” he promised, squeezing Gabriel’s hand. Glowing red eyes met his, doubtful at best.

“Two completely new grandpas to pamper him?” Jack went on. “And one of them can do the coolest tricks with smoke and look spooky? If I remember how I was like that age, I figure he’ll love what you can do.”

At that Gabriel finally cracked a smile.

“If he cries cause I’ve frightened him too badly I’ll blame you.”

Finally Gabriel’s shoulders relaxed and he pushed at Jack’s chest.

“Get everything ready. We can leave once I’m done.”

He stepped around Jack, letting his hands linger, and disappeared into the bathroom. A few seconds later the sound of the shower turning on was audible through the door, so Jack turned to making sure they had everything.

Packing for emergencies, ammunition, first aid supplies, rations, and the like was easy. It was strangely difficult to remember what one might need on an innocent family visit though. Of course they would bring all the usual things, just so they couldn’t be caught off guard, but the idea of packing cosy sweaters, presents, and books seemed unnecessarily difficult.

Jack made sure that both his and Gabriel’s things were in their travel bags, before putting the presents for Ellie, Marco, and Alex at the very top.

Soon enough Gabriel emerged from the bathroom, perfectly put together and not a trace of his nervousness left on his face. Jack handed him his bag and together they walked out of their little apartment, locking it up with more than enough different security codes to occupy intruders for a good while.

They still had their tiny carrier nearby, hidden on a rooftop that could be reached over a rusty old fire escape that creaked under their weight. It was by no means a comfortable transport, with barely enough space for two seats, but they didn’t need more than that anyway.

Gabriel checked the plane and stashed their things away as Jack put on his visor, scanning the area to make sure nothing suspicious was in the area. Other than his own breath coming in thick white puffs there was nothing, and if he started the engine carefully nobody would even hear them take off.

Once inside the plane Jack flexed his fingers against the creeping cold, knowing that it would get better once they were actually flying. Gabriel leaned back in the co pilot seat, staring ahead as Jack checked the readings to make sure everything was in order and nothing could be detected on the radar.

For a few moments he frowned as the readings seemed blurry on the screens, before he realized that a fine mist of nanites had started to fill the cockpit. He threw a glance at Gabriel, and indeed, his partner’s stoic face did nothing to hide his nerves when his entire body was smoking faintly.

“Gabe… I know you’re agitated about this, but I need to have a clear few on these,” Jack said softly, reaching out to put his hand on Gabriel’s.

Gabriel threw him a glare, about to protest, before sighing and leaning back in his seat more comfortably. He didn’t look much more relaxed but the nanites retreated so Jack took it as a win.

He finished the pre-take off checks and started the engine. A soft thrum vibrated through the plane, and it took off without making a noise. Having a stolen stealth vessel had its perks after all, no matter how tiny.

Jack manoeuvred them out of the plane’s makeshift hiding spot, and quickly left the town below them, reaching a good height to make the journey to spend the holidays with their family. Only once he was sure that there was nothing off with the readings and they were flying steady did he turn to Gabriel.

“Hey, I promise you,” he said softly, aware of how wound up Gabriel was. “It will be fine. I know it’s a weird situation, but we’ll spend the holidays with our daughter and our grandson. And they do want us around, I _promise_ you.”

Gabriel smirked, shaking his head.

“Well… if you say so I guess I have to believe you, right?”

Jack laughed, and turned back to watch the sky before them.

“Of course. I’m always right, honey.”

 

*

 

The zoomerang let out a pulsing melody as it zipped through the room, rushing from corner to corner just under the ceiling as the boy swung his hand, a green glove controlling his new toy. Alex laughed as the thing rushed around the giant Christmas tree in the corner of the living room and them back towards him again. He’d been at it for ten minutes and showed no sign of losing interest in favour of his other presents.

From the kitchen the sound of a man whistling along to the melody and a kettle could be heard, as the boy’s father prepared hot chocolate for the entire family.

The couch Jack sat on was just slightly too small for three adults, two of which being enhanced supersoldiers, but Ellie made no protests as she sat squeezed shoulder to shoulder with both her parents, smiling as she watched her son. She seemed unfazed by how close he came to breaking something with his toy, content where she was even if her papa seemed to tense each time.

Her hand nudged against Jack’s, until her fingers curled around his calloused ones, and he didn’t need to look to know that she had done the same with Gabriel.

“Thank you,” she said, voice soft and the smile audible in her words.

Jack squeezed her hand gently, and leaned back, smiling as well.

For the first time in nearly a decade, he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Val: Thank you all so much for sticking with this AU and our story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Vic: Mucho thanks for reading along with us on this sweet story


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